By Aryanto Wijaya
If I have to choose between taking a train or a plane, I always prefer the train. The reason is simple: wheels on the ground feel more certain than wings in the air. But that’s just my feeling. The truth is, airplanes are the safest form of transportation. Compared to motorbikes, cars, or trains, airplanes have the lowest accident rate.
Even though I know this, it doesn’t completely erase my fear. I experienced this firsthand when I flew to Singapore. The Boeing 777-300ER I was on hit severe turbulence. Suddenly, the plane dropped for three seconds. It felt like a fast elevator ride. My body lifted off the seat, but the seatbelt held me in place. Many passengers went from being calm to panicking. I saw the long wings shaking outside the window, looking like they might break, but they didn’t. The plane landed safely in the end.
At the airport, while waiting for my next flight, I looked up facts about airplanes and turbulence. Since the climate crisis began, meteorologists have predicted more frequent turbulence. Turbulence is just irregular air movement that makes the plane shake. But aircraft engineers have planned for this. They use materials like aluminum, iron, steel, titanium, and composites to build strong and flexible planes. Even when shaken by turbulence, the plane stays intact and doesn’t break.
I’m amazed. If humans, with their limitations, can create something with such detail and strength that it appears almost perfect, what does that say about God’s creation of us?
To answer this, we need to start with the beginning of the biblical story: creation. After making everything else—heaven and earth, light and dark, animals and plants—“God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). The phrase “in his own image” shows how humans are different from other creations. Humans were made to think, communicate, understand right and wrong, be creative, and have relationships with God and each other.
At the end of creation, God saw everything He had made, and it was very good (v. 31). Sadly, humans, influenced by Satan’s lies, rebelled against God and fell into sin. Sin made us lose His glory, bringing all kinds of suffering into our lives (Romans 6:23). We became fragile, easily broken by life’s troubles. We also hurt and weakened others, both people and other creatures.
But God, the Creator of the universe, didn’t stay silent. He came into this turbulent world Himself. He allowed Himself to be shaken, hurt, broken, and even die to pay for our sins. Amazingly, His death started a new life, fixing the broken parts of our lives. In Christ, we become new creations, gaining strength from His life. In Him, we have strong and flexible resilience, like the plane I was on, which stayed intact despite facing unpredictable turbulence.
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On my next flight, I still felt a bit scared because the plane kept shaking, but I didn’t panic. I wondered why I reacted differently from my first flight. It wasn’t because I had become an experienced flyer or had great courage. I was still afraid. What calmed me was knowing about the plane I was on. Even though accidents can happen, I knew the Boeing 777 wouldn’t fall apart in mid-air. Aircraft engineers design planes to be strong and flexible for the vast sky. I needed to trust the pilot and the plane’s design.
Then, I asked myself if I could apply the same thinking to life’s turbulent moments.
Economic stress, chronic illness, tough family and friendship problems, and bigger issues will always be part of our lives, like turbulence during a flight. We might worry that life’s storms will break us, but we should remember what our Creator said when He made us: “It is very good!”
The Bible gives us strong assurance during life’s turbulence. We can endure and overcome all challenges because we “have a great high priest . . . Jesus the Son of God.” And, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Not only has He faced our weaknesses and temptations, but He has also overcome them all.
So, remember that we don’t go through life alone because Jesus is always with us, giving us strength. He invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
