Originally written for Town Hall: 1-17-09

The story is being hailed as the most positive piece of popular news to hit Americans in quite some time, a refreshing change from the war on terror and the bad economy: A U.S. Airlines jet, after potentially crashing in New York City, instead landed in the Hudson River, where many brave people rescued every single passenger.

I offer two observations this morning:

1) Let’s just hope the skill the of the pilot, the heroics of the rescuers and innocence of the airline (birds flying into an engine cannot always be helped), ward off any temptation of a lawsuit. Forgive me for feeling cynical, but  I can just sense attorneys salivating all over the country, turning this into a more conventional news story with Gerraldo and Greta.

2) Had the flight taken off from another runway, had there been no Hudson River to land in, etc. we might be talking about a crash into buildings, not unlike the 9/11 disaster. Should one be grateful before God? I believe so.

Before my skeptical friends snicker, I remind them how quick they are to blame God or deny God when things go wrong. When something goes conspicuously right, they tend to ignore the situation.

Please don’t misunderstand me: I’m not saying this incident proves the existence of God. (That can be done in other ways). On the other hand, if people choose to put theology on trial for lack of “divine intervention” toward plane crashes and other disasters, then an amazing set of positive events (at the very least) should be taken into consideration as evidence for God.   It would be difficult for any honest, free-thinking individual to not at least consider this possibility.

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