Fly the Friendly Skies—Hesed Air

Life can be a turbulent flight—delays, cancelations, boarding challenges, sickness, violence, hatred, fear, death—even getting a ticket can be a burden, but there is a better, first-class way to fly—Hesed Air.  

The prophet Hosea recommends it when you’re trying to get back home to God.

⁶For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6 

Here is the preflight plan of Hosea 6. God’s people were flying in some rough turbulence with their God. They were hypocritical in their worship, steep in performance rather than purpose, focused on ceremony rather than compassion, dutiful to demonstration rather deep devotion, and attached to sacrifice than sacredness. They have gotten off course. How do they return from apostacy to the rarified altitude of loyal love and holiness? 

Hesed Air is the ticket. 

Hesed—the Hebrew word for loyalty in verse 6—is simply defined as a devoted love that characteries God’s love reflecting kindness, justice and compassion. Passengers of Hesed Air see opportunities to do kindness without fanfare and prideful airfare. They are loyal to the creed: “See need, meet need” like Debbie Bolton. Here is her passport: 

Debbie was in an Omaha airport ticket line and overheard a father experiencing rough turbulence.  With his daughter in his arms, the agent asked him to see her ticket. He thought his daughter would be able to fly for free because he purchased his ticket when she was two. But he soon realized she was over the age to fly free, having turned three two months earlier.  Heartbroken, he explained to the agent that he couldn’t afford to rebook this flight or get her the ticket with such short notice. “Sir, you’ll have to step aside so I can help the next person.”  The next person was Debbie, a card-carrying member of Hesed Air. 

“I want to buy her a ticket,” she said. 

“You know how much this ticket costs, right?” the agent replied, “$749?” 

Without hesitation, Debbie pulled out her credit. The father was overwhelmed with joy and hugged her, repeatedly asking for her name so he could pay her back. But she refused, and said, “Don’t worry about it,” before walking away. 

Father and daughter went on their way to board a flight made less bumpy because of  a fellow flyer who knew that life  can be a turbulent flight—delays, cancelations, challenges, uncontrollable circumstances, that not everyone’s unforeseen weather is the same, not everyone’s seat on the plane is the same, but there is a better, first-class way to fly available to all —Hesed Air.   

Because we all fly, we all face the possibility of turbulence, whether of the vicissitudes of life

common to man or circumstances of our own making. But we, the people, as agents of the Supreme Copilot and Chief, can help each other navigate the rough patches and make it home.