I started this series on public transport by talking about my experiences of my local bus service and moved on to various types of trains. It’s now time to write about plane travel, which is the most difficult for a variety of reasons.
In recent years many Christians have become very concerned about the way we treat God’s world, especially in terms of the greedy consumption of fossil fuels which has contributed to global warming and has such an impact on weather and wildlife. High up on the list of things we need to use sparingly and search our hearts about, is our usage of air travel. On Songs of Praise a couple spoke recently about their decision to stop all use of air travel as part of their commitment to taking care of God’s earth. I admired them for the stand they were taking but felt I had to decide this was not for me. The reason for that is that I now have a daughter, son in law and 3 grandchildren living in Australia and air travel is the only realistic way of maintaining a relationship with them.
For some people air travel presents other challenges. A friend who works in a GP surgery said they regularly receive requests from people going on planes for medication to alleviate fear of flying. The guidance for GPs now states that such requests should be responded to with a referral to a course for nervous or even panic-stricken passengers. However, if the person approaches them a week before they are due to leave this presents difficulties and medication may seem like the only solution.
Thankfully I have learned to keep calm in most situations on a plane, unless the turbulence becomes too bad. I do find however that air travel is not a friendly experience on most occasions. Airports can be very lonely places when hours of waiting necessitate having a good book or podcast available to help pass the time, without giving way to anxiety. On long flights communication with those sitting next to me is usually minimal, as much through my choice as theirs. Faced with a thirteen-and-a-half-hour flight to Singapore, it is far safer to keep conversation to a minimum than to end up listening to an overwhelming neighbour who won’t stop talking! My best experience of a plane conversation was when I sat next to a man who sailed regularly in Sydney harbour and told me about his experiences of sailing in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, which starts on Boxing Day and takes about 3 days. He was travelling to the UK to sail in events down in Cornwall, – a true enthusiast and fascinating to listen to.
So how does my Christian faith relate to air travel? First of all, I am aware I need to monitor my use of air travel, to use planes when there is a good reason to do so, such as maintaining family contact or exploring another part of God’s beautiful world, but to do so responsibly, with due regard for the impact of my actions on the planet.
Secondly, I need to rely on my Heavenly Father to sustain and help me through the anxiety and loneliness of travelling by plane, sometimes accompanied by some difficult farewells prior to boarding the plane. I have learned not to be too proud to ask for prayer prior to flying, and to say a prayer of thanks for a safe flight as soon as I land. Every aspect of our lives remains in God’s hands and I tell others that I can only manage such journeys in his strength and grace.
A prayer
Dear Lord, please help us to be good stewards of your gifts to us and to seek your will in all the decisions we make, including how we travel and how we take holidays. You are with us when we feel lonely and afraid and we thank you for that . Help us to tell others that message too.