Who Will Fly The Plane?

Years ago, when my children were little, we built a house to accommodate our growing family.
There were so many things that needed to be done.
One important thing that somehow fell to the bottom of the list was finding a doctor.
From well visits to annual check-ups, a good rapport with your doctor is crucial.

Often it is word of mouth that brings you to one doctor over another.
There is an interview process as you determine if this person is right for your family.
I am grateful to the ones that have taken care of our family through the years.
They have been a blessing to us.

I remember a time when someone needed very minor outpatient surgery.
A surgeon was recommended.
I visited him ahead of time so we could meet.
He came with wonderful recommendations.

When I met him, his experience and abilities proceeded him.
I had never heard anything but wonderful things about this doctor.
However, when I met him, his bedside manner was just awful.
He was so sure of himself, he came across as being cocky.

I knew that he was more than capable to handle the minor thing that needed to be done.
I just didn’t know if I liked him.
He was so sure of himself and answered my questions abruptly.
I left there wondering if he was right for our family.

I had to go to our regular doctor with one of the children a few days later.
I told him about meeting the surgeon and was honest about what troubled me.
I will never forget his response.
He did not deny any of the things I said, in fact I was not alone in my assumptions.

If a pilot was flying a plane and the plane was going down, what would you look for?
Would you care if the pilot had a good bedside manner?
Or would you just want him to land the plane safely?
I knew the answer to that rhetorical question; I called and made the appointment.

Despite the fact that what was needed was minor, I trust this surgeon implicitly.
I have never forgotten the wise words that were spoken to me.
They have come to my mind from time to time in various situations.
Those wise words are on playback often.

If a pilot was flying a plane and the plane was going down, what would you look for?
Would you care if the pilot had a good bedside manner?
Or would you just want him to land the plane safely?

It is coming close to primary elections in our country.
Each party’s choice for President of the United States will be decided.
Everyone has their own ideas of what makes a good president.
Everyone has their own ideas of what makes a great president.

The problem is, not everyone agrees on what that criterion needs to be.
Some voters are single issue voters.
Some voters are pleased with the status quo.
Some voters want to run as fast as they can from politics as usual.

At the heart, one thing must be considered.
That one thing is character.
Chuck Colson delivered a speech at the Harvard Business School in 1991.
His speech was titled, The Problem of Ethics.

How can you have ethical behavior? The crisis of character is totally understandable when there are no absolute values. The word ethics derives from the Greek word ethos, which literally meant “stall” – a hiding place. It was the one place you could go and find security. There could be rest and something you could depend upon; it was immovable. Morals derives from the word mores, which means “always changing.” Ethics or ethos is the normative; what ought to be. Morals is what is. Unfortunately, in American life today we are totally guided by moral determinations. So we’re not even looking at ethical standards. Ethical standards don’t change. It’s the stall, it’s the ethos, it’s the environment in which we live. Morals change all the time…Ethics is not – cannot be – democratic. Ethics by definition is authoritarian.
(Chuck Colson)

Ethical standards don’t change.
Morals change all the time.
We tend to fidget on the shifting sand of morals.
We really need to stand on ethical standards based on absolute truth.

We mock honor – and then we are alarmed when there are traitors in our midst. (C.S.Lewis)

Who is flying the plane?
Who do we want to fly the plane?
Are we seeking someone who sounds just like us, who says all the things we want to say?
Are we seeking someone whose feet are standing firm on ethical standards?

Charisma can only get us so far.
Politics as usual will only feed itself.
What if there was a different litmus test?
What if we asked ourselves, who do we want to fly the plane?

Flying the plane takes skill and fortitude.
Flying the plane takes patience and steadiness.
Flying the plane means being ready for turbulence and flying through it.
Flying the plane means the ability to follow directions to a destination.

Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to Him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. This will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied. (Exodus 18:17-23)

Ethical standards should be the criterion on which we choose our leaders.
Capable men, men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain.
If that was our litmus test, we would be able to dismiss many choices.
If that was our litmus test, we would have greater clarity and less confusion.

Who do you want to fly the plane?
Who is able to fly the plane?
Bedside manner only gets you so far.
Ethics, integrity, and character based on immovable standards is the answer to our problem.