When
the Second World War broke out, leaders quickly realized that it was going to
be fought in the air as much as on the ground, so pilot training became a huge
priority. Unfortunately, the United
Kingdom was not a suitable training ground because it was too close to the
front lines and its weather was too unpredictable. Thus, in 1939, the “British Commonwealth Air
Training Plan” was born. Under this
plan, pilots would be trained in safe countries and then be moved to the front
lines.
Across
the Canadian prairies, huge airports were constructed. You may remember seeing those. However, did you know that every airport also
had several relief fields?
A
relief field was another set of runways, usually built within a 15 mile radius,
that could be used by the pilot if he had an issue and could return to his
base. Relief fields usually had a
hanger, maybe a small barracks and a few mechanics. Interestingly, if you look at a satellite map
of the area around an old airport, you can still see the remnants of these relief
fields.
So, why
am I telling you this? Well, imagine
that you are a young pilot, newly trained, facing an emergency. You look out and see nothing but ploughed
fields, rocks, sloughs, and trees. You
think you are going to die! Then, you
see the relief field! A safe place to
land that has people who can help you.
The
church needs to be a relief field!
We need
to be a place of help and support. A
place where people care. We need to do
this, not because we are so great, but because kindness reflects the nature of
God. Kindness is one of the “Fruit of
the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Kindness describes Jesus and his mission: “When the kindness and love of
God appeared, he saved us” (Titus 3:4).
God’s kindness is a key feature of the Gospel message (Ephesians 2:1-7;
note verse 7).
When
kindness is our first reaction, we represent our father well. Kindness gives people hope. Kindness draws people towards God and
repentance (Romans 2:4).
In a world
where many are in trouble and have nowhere to turn, the church needs to be a
safe place to land.
Comments