Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good. II Timothy 3:16-17 CEB

It was the ordinary Tuesday morning that turned our world upside-down. United Flight 93 was a regular non-stop originating from Newark, NJ and traveling to San Francisco, CA. It was scheduled to depart at 8:00 AM, but left forty-two minutes late and, in another forty-six minutes the plane had been overtaken by hijackers. The late departure and the delay by hijackers to initiate their mission allowed time for passengers to be made aware, through calls from families, friends, and employers, of three other hijacked flights that had successfully targeted the world Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC.

When the purpose of the hijacking was realized, Todd Beamer, a New Jersey resident traveling west for a business meeting, and a group of passengers met in the rear of the plane and put together an emergency plan to storm the cockpit, hoping to stabilize the plane but knowing that a crash was likely imminent. Beamer placed a call on the airphone & was eventually routed to GTE airphone supervisor, Lisa Jefferson. He provided details of the events to that point and then the plane made an abrupt course change and he shouted, “We’re going down!” 

God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you…..God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life….he guards you now, he guards you always. Psalm 121:5-8 MSG

Passengers quickly agreed to initiate their plan. Beamer informed Jefferson and then recited The Lord’s Prayer and the twenty-third Psalm. He asked Jefferson to call his family and tell them he loved them. Amid muffled sounds, Beamer clearly said, “Are you ready? Okay. Let’s roll.” Those were his last words spoken to Jefferson.

Those two words, “Let’s roll,” quickly became a battle cry of sorts. We hope that no one has to face the terror of another Flight 93 experience, but we, as Christians, have our marching orders as well. And I believe that we can claim that battle cry as our own. Todd Beamer, with the knowledge that everyone in that plane was about to die, reflected his faith with those remembered words of scripture that have brought peace to generations of believers. And we have been commissioned to take the living words of Jesus to people everywhere, in all walks of life, whatever language they speak, whatever background they claim as their heritage. We are all God’s children and He wants so much for every one of us to feel His constant presence.

Then Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20

The passengers of Flight 93 plunged to their deaths knowing that others would live because of their actions. Aren’t we, in fact, asked to save others from spiritual death? Aren’t we asked to be Jesus’ hands and feet, with boots on the ground and all of our spiritual armor intact? Pastor Sarah asked us Sunday what we will do with our training, our faith, our absolute belief that God is the supreme sovereign. I say we pick up the mantra. Are we ready? Okay. Let’s roll!

Christ promises adventure, hardship and reward, the likes of which we can’t ever imagine. Bear Grylls, Soul Fuel