Olive Crest United Methodist Church
7180 North 60th Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68152

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Rev. Debra Tompsett-Welch

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Olive Branch Newsletter For December 2001

When the world changes,
and a baby is born
in the midst of darkness.

By Rev. Michael Lee Burgess

My father told me about a documentary TV show he watched that kept me listening to every word. Maybe you would like to hear about it to, so here is it as I remember it.

Not too long after the 9/11 disasters there was an incident aboard a jet liner. They were coming into Chicago O'Hare airport when a man started screaming at the top of his lungs, jumped out of his seat and starting running toward the flight deck. Immediately, four guys jumped up and started chasing him. They didn't know each other, they just saw something that needed doing and did it. One of the men said later "Before I would have just sat there and let somebody in charge deal with it, but not now." Another one said, "That guy was really moving, I'm in pretty good shape, and I was running flat out, but I just couldn't catch him." The guy slammed into the cockpit door and broke it open. The copilot and navigator where trying to hold onto him, while the pilot was calling for an emergency landing. It was like being in a mini van and three guys are wrestling in the second seat while you are on the interstate with six lanes of traffic at 90 miles an hour. Then the four guys got there. They grabbed him and yanked him out of the cockpit and threw him down. Then he was up again, heading for the cockpit. So they sat on him, "I'm a pretty big guy, 6'2" and I weight over 270, but he was bouncing me around." People were coming up offering belts and scarves, but the flight attendant got those seat belts they use to demonstrate how to but a belt on before you take off. The belted his ankles, knees, and thighs and arms and he was still bouncing. One guy in a window seat said, "I wasn't scared, I knew that they had him and it was under control. Then I looked out the window. Chicago has the Sears Tower, the largest still standing in America and they have a F15 Air force jet stationed over it with orders to shoot down any plane heading toward it. He was coming straight at us with his afterburners on. Then I was scared . . . Then the plane hit an air pocket and dropped like a rock, and instantly I saw people yanking out their cell phones to call home and tell their loved ones 'I love you' and 'good bye'."

That was the part that hit me. When you thought you were going to die, you wanted to tell someone "I love you." When there are only minutes left, what is truly important is that you love. We wonder at God for sending a son into this world of pain and terror, but when we are in the same spot we too reach out to tell someone we love them. We forget that the creed says, "only begotten son," not only son or daughter. We are all the children of God, and we are loved completely in these few moments of life before death. God is just trying to reach out to us and tell you and me, "I love you."

People say that the world is different now. They even have public service ads saying, "Live brave." We have been saying that for thousands of years. Brothers and sisters, a baby was born. We are not now and never will be alone. In these few minutes before death, remember to let God tell you, "I love you." It truly will make life different. May you have a blessed and life filled Christmastide.

Your brother in Christ, Reverend Michael Lee Burgess

p.s. My friend and brother-in-Christ Rev. Marc Hibbard is our guest writer for "Peace with Justice" this month. Be sure and read his help for finding a peaceful heart for Christmas.

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