PAY ATTENTION
As the flight attendants called our attention to their pre-flight safety instructions, I turned to the in-flight magazine, flitting through the pages on the off chance of finding an article worth reading. I was still searching when I felt a nudge from my traveling partner, a friend who had spent several years in the pastorate. He nodded toward the flight attendant standing near us and said with a wry smile, “This is just like preaching.” I didn’t catch his meaning at first. When the light dawned, I glanced around the cabin. Like me, many of my fellow passengers had their nose in a magazine, newspaper or paperback. Others were chatting with their seat mates. Some stared vacuously out the window. A few already had their eyes closed, anticipating an in-flight doze. Maybe a handful were giving any semblance of notice to the safety instructions. My friend’s analogy to preaching was painfully clear: listeners in body only, ears and minds heeding a…
To view this resource, log in or sign up for a subscription plan
