The mystery of MH370
It is now five weeks since Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 went missing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8th March. Since then, there has been some news and plenty of speculation about what happened. The truth is, we know frustratingly little – and if we feel frustrated, imagine what it feels like for the families and friends of the 239 people on the flight. Since the media rarely, if ever, cover the theological angle of such events, it is worth reflecting briefly on some of these things.
First, mankind’s skill is breathtaking. We take for granted that we can put airliners into the air at all. To imagine that we can find a missing plane in such a vast and hostile part of the planet shows what creatures made in the image of a creator God are capable of.
Second, our knowledge is limited… and that frustrates us. It is humbling to discover that there are things we do not know and cannot do. Among many other mysteries, we may never know what happened to MH370, and that should remind us that we are not God.
Third, 239 souls passed into the presence of God, totally unexpected and – I assume – mostly unprepared. The sobering fact is that none of us knows when our lives will be required of us. The good news is that we can be ready for that day because of Good Friday when Jesus died for our sins, and Easter Sunday when he rose to give us new life.