Read: Psalms 8
The Boeing Aircraft the 787 Dreamliner was one of the aircrafts that had a much
acclaimed entry into the aviation field. It was called the new marvel in the
sky. Pilots and other aviation enthusiasts were thrilled and amazed not only at
the different features inside the aircraft and the technology associated with
it, but also in the way it was built. Most of the modern aircrafts are built
from aluminum and its alloys, but the Boeing 787 uses a relatively high
percentage of composite materials [ Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic] in its
construction of the aircraft. These materials have higher strength to weight
ratio thus bringing about greater durability and also reducing weight of the
aircraft at the same time. These construction features helps the aircraft to
contribute positively in terms of comforts to passengers and pilots as the
aircraft flies at high altitude. Thus every major airline like Emirates,
Air India, United and host of other airline companies who bought this new
aircraft at a list price of $207 million advertised through the different news
agencies that they are using this magnificent aircraft in some of their prime
routes. The Emirates and some other airlines had also brought a video
presentation of the features of the new 787 dreamliner. The Boeing 787
Dreamliner was indeed a state of art technology aircraft. Last year the this
aircraft was honoured with the "Aircraft of Legend" awarded by the
Living Legends of Aviation organization. But in the last two day, with two
incidents happening on simultaneous days at the Boston Logan's airport, the
reputation of 787 dreamliner has taken a beating. On Monday an electrical fire
broke out in an empty, parked Japan Airlines 787 Dreamliner, just as the
passengers had disembarked from the aircraft. The cleaning crews saw
smoke in the cabin and the fire crews arrived in minutes to extinguish the
fire. It seems that the battery that powers the jet's electrical system had
apparently exploded when the engines were turned off. Investigators had
to rush in to examine the plane on a day when with this incident the Boeing
stock closed at 2.6% lower than the previous day. And on Tuesday, that is
yesterday, as the Japan Airlines Dreamliner loaded with 181 passengers were
thundering down the runway to take off, it was the alertness of another pilot
in another plane who noticed that fuel was spewing from the wing of the
jetliner. Soon the dreamliner made an emergency landing and the Boeing 787
towed away for another examination. One can never imagine what would have
happened if the alert pilot in the other aircraft had noticed, an aviation
disaster was avoided in time. These two incidents have put the Boeing in
a tight spot. Most of the airlines who have purchased aircraft from Boeing have
affirmed that they are satisfied at the performance of the dreamliner and
asserts that every aircraft has its own glitches. Strange, what about glitches
when flying. When human being tend to make new and new discoveries and new
innovations that re design human life, I think we tend to gloat over it and
unknowingly we tend to consider ourselves mightier and infallible. It is
incidents like these that teaches us that what is important in human life is
not being arrogant and gloating over the massive stride that take in every
aspect of our life, but be always be cautious and humble with the concept that
we are human beings and are fallible and fallen.
One of the most beautiful passages about the uniqueness about human beings and
also the fallibility of human beings is found in Psalms 8. This is one of the
Psalms which is considered as a wonderful expression of praise and
adoration. David is amazed at the God of creation and the wonderful ways
that the whole universe is created. But in the midst of this wonderful creation
of universe, one finds that God has also focused his attention and lavishes his
love on human beings. Human beings who are crowned with glory and honour,
is made to rule over the works of God, and God had placed everything under the
authority of human beings. But when God gives this authority and
this unique privilege to human beings, what God expects us is to discover our
true value, worth and authority through our relationship with God. But somehow
today, we have forgotten God and has always exalted ourselves and the
contributions and achievements that we make in our life. Whenever we make
discoveries and new innovations in science and technology, this is often used
as a time of God bashing or confirming that we the human beings are infallible
and that dependence on God are tales of the past or grandmothers folklores.
Rather than thanking God for giving us the wisdom to make new discoveries we
use these tools such as the discoveries of Dreamliner 787 as an event and
object to distance ourselves from God and having a qualitative relationship
with the creator. Hence I believe when hitches and problems like what happened
to Dreamliner 787 in these two days, teaches us that we need to be humble,
recognize that all discoveries and innovations has limitations and that we
human being are fallible. It is only when we consciously recognize this fact of
fallibility and our limitations that we will depend more on our Lord,
acknowledge him daily and thank him for the wisdom and the grace that He gives
us daily for which we are not worthy. Let us therefore always live in such
a way that affirms that God we are nothing without you and it is through you
that we make discoveries and achievement s in life. Let these thoughts make us
humble.