Belief and Damnation on Flight 1220

A recent poll showed that 1 out of 5 Americans believes President Obama is a Muslim. Coming back from a Bible retreat, my friend agreed that that was kind of silly. However, he wanted to see what Obama's response would be to, "Do you believe all people who don't believe in Jesus go to Hell?" What an awesome question that would be! It is the make-or-break question for a Christian because, if you say yes, you're a Christian, and, if you say no, you're not - as Christopher Hitchens puts it - "in any meaningful sense a Christian".

At the core of Christianity is salvation versus damnation. The answer to the age-old question is in Jesus Christ. We often forget that and, as most American Christians would take the bait and say no, most have abandoned the core value of their faith. These Christians who deny the exclusivity of Christ are cultural Christians, not unlike the cultural Jews of the Old Testament who didn't follow God. Not surprisingly, they were the majority also. They were born into, but not born again. From John 3, verse 3: In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Jesus described salvation/Christianity as a life-changing experience, NOT something you're born into.

In "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird", the 149 souls on Flight 1220 are all in different points along the spiritual walk. On one end you have the Musgrave family, on a mission trip to the remote Amazon region. Their salvation is secure and it should be no surprise little Morgan Musgrave - who blurts out the gospel to Paul the moment they meet - plays a key role later on in the story.

The Montoyas are still in a cultural Christian rut while Sonia Petra is the only active believer among the survivors. Although Sonia will go through a time of anger toward God in "The Mountaineer" sequel, her faith is strong. The Montoyas will be shaken out of their spiritual paralysis by the events of Flight 1220 and move toward Christ in time to deal with Bill's life-threatening illness that is soon to be diagnosed. Paul Thurber, the "13 Ways" protagonist, is a young, cultural Christian with some idea, albeit nebulous, of who Jesus is. I am very familiar with him; he is based on myself as I was 20+ years ago.

In the nightmares from 1999 to 2009, Paul was not me; that is, I was not in the dreams. It was just easier to tell the story through Paul's eyes using my personality to color him. Now Paul's salvation - while inferred - is not fully revealed because there is that element between ultimate reality and doctrine that we cannot penetrate. Paul falls, as I did, in that broad swath of people who have heard a weak version of the gospel and haven't rejected it nor have they sought it with any passion. He is confronted with his own mortality in an era of his life in which he is not spiritually mature.

The salvation by Jesus question is not as cut-and-dried as it looks, but it is still a yes-or-no question. The key word is "believe"; If you believe in Jesus Christ, you go to Heaven, and, if not, Hell. Belief denotes a frame of reference exists. If someone asked me if I believed in the Tazmanian Jaguar God and, upon saying "No", found myself in Hell I'd definitely cry foul. I would have to know what the Tazmanian Jaguar God is before my reply would be binding. The Bible teaches that we will be judged by what we know. We are "under the law" [Romans 3:19] by varying degrees. This is why the person who hears the gospel clearly and rejects it is in far more danger of Hell than the aborigine who only knew a cross necklace that his persecutors wore around their necks.

Paul's almost comical view of faith is a sharp critique of Christianity as it exists in America today. In one scene, he gets tangled up trying to pray during the turbulence, hijacking a few phrases his Christian uncle used to use. The prayer becomes a bunch of babbling nonsense. It was a metaphor for the big problem so many people have (and I had) in being able to talk to God in their own language.

Salvation for us is a one-time event that is ongoing. By that I mean salvation has a definite beginning but the journey with God grows from that point. The Bible teaches that the opposite is also true; damnation has a starting point and grows progressively worse. Anyone who studies the development of a monster like Hitler or Stalin can see how that dynamic works. For me, I give thanks that I will never know that firsthand. God has saved me through Jesus Christ.

I like the idea that God doesn't just speak through visions and dreams on Flight 1220. He also talks directly to Paul through the Being, speaking through the bodies of the passengers and crew with that authoritative - sometimes male, sometimes female - voice. He is around Paul, and Paul realizes He's always been around. Every saved soul has that intimate truth revealed to them; God has always known us and loved us more than we can possibly imagine. God is very real. That is what I wanted to convey most in "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird". That is why His Word stands today on solid ground after thousands of years of attacks upon it. Like those people who believe in Him, the Word endures forever.