One summer, my family and I spent time in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada. This beautiful area features vast forests, rugged escarpment, and cold, clear lakes. Thousands of vacationers flock to “cottage country” in the warm summer months, and we were among them
Friends of ours have a float plane and offered to take us on a flight over the breathtaking region. It was a memorable trip. When it was over, the pilot gracefully landed the plane on the calm, blue waters of Lake Joseph.
It takes great skill to land a plane; I couldn’t do it. Our pilot had all the skills to return from the air safely.
In my research, there seems to be some debate about which is easier to land: a float plane on water or a standard plane on a runway. One thing that makes a float plane easier to land is the sheer options of landing space. When flying over the large lake in Muskoka, our pilot had many choices about where to put down. If he landed ten, twenty, or even a hundred meters to the right or left, it wouldn’t really matter; the water was the same in every direction.
Landing on a runway requires more precision. That said, there are other complications on water that a runway landing wouldn’t have to face, like waves, currents, etc.
However, a runway pilot and a water pilot would agree that the hardest place to land an airplane would be on an aircraft carrier.
I am completely ignorant of how difficult such a landing would be, but the following description sure makes it seem nearly impossible:
“One of the factors that make landing on an aircraft carrier difficult is that it is a moving target that can change its speed, direction, and position depending on the wind, waves, and operational needs. The pilot has to constantly adjust the approach angle, air speed, and altitude to align with the carrier’s flight deck, which is only about 500 feet long and 150 feet wide. The pilot also has to account for the relative motion of the carrier and the aircraft, which can affect the landing speed and distance.
“Also, landing on an aircraft carrier is difficult as it operates in various weather and sea conditions that can affect the landing performance and safety. The pilot has to deal with crosswinds, turbulence, fog, rain, or darkness that can reduce the visibility and stability of the aircraft. The pilot also has to cope with the pitching and rolling of the carrier’s deck, which can change the angle and height of the landing zone. The pilot has to time that touchdown precisely to catch one of the arresting wires to stop the aircraft from overshooting the deck.”
You can learn more by watching this video.
This is to say that while there may be many ways to land a plane on the lakes of Muskoka, there is only one way to land a plane on an aircraft carrier. The pilot does not have options, and the margin for error is extremely small.
The reason is the complexity of the landing. It would be inconceivable for a pilot to choose to land on an aircraft carrier any way they wanted to; they don’t have that luxury.
It is one way or no way.
Many people would like to believe there are many ways to God, as though the transition from mortality to immortality, from earth to heaven, was as simple as landing a float plane on a wide and calm body of water.
But just because we would like to think this is true has no bearing on whether or not it is actually true.
Brothers, there is no more complex transition than this one from death to life. No living person knows how to make that transition because no living person has ever done it before. We don’t get any practice runs or simulator experiences.
But just because we would like to think this is true has no bearing on whether or not it is actually true.
The only way to know how to make this change is to know someone who has already made the journey.
Jesus said, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13).
Jesus has made the trip before us. He knows what is required. He knows what must be done. And Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Now, we can argue with Jesus. We can think that there are many ways to the Father. We can imagine that if we are just good enough, we can get to heaven. We can even imagine that everyone gets to heaven.
Or we can agree with the One who has seen both sides—mortality and immortality.
You know, if I had to be in a plane that was going to land on an aircraft carrier, I’d want a pilot who has landed there successfully before. I’d actually want the best pilot there was!
Jesus has gone before us and paved the way so that we can also land safely on the other side of death. He knows what He is doing, and He can be trusted.
He gave His life for us to make this transition possible. He has the know-how, and that knowledge is steeped in His great love for us (John 3:16).
Will you trust in Jesus today? Will you successfully navigate this most sophisticated and complex transition by believing and receiving the only One who truly knows the only way?
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