Flying Standby

"Life at it's best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony."

-Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love-

Tomorrow at this time I should be on a flight to Tel Aviv, Israel.

I'm flying standby. Chicago to Philly, Philly to Tel Aviv.
Let me tell you, flexibility paired with tenacity is a hard combo to beat and there's little better training for those two qualities than flying standby internationally. You see, as a standby flyer I fly last. If nearly anyone else wants to get on the plane before me, they will.

First, I carefully pack every object I need for the next 10 days in one bag—the risk of loosing luggage on standby is exponentially higher than regular flying. The bag is my blue backpack fading to white on it's edges (Thank you, Joe Davis. I carry that bag with me everywhere).

Tomorrow I will stand in a line and check in with my airline before I go through security. I'll keep my only bag with me. At this point I'll find out how very likely (or unlikely) it is that I will board my flight. Regardless of the news about my flight, I'll head for my gate.

I will walk to security; place my plastic bag of liquids, old belt, cell phone, borrowed watch, little shoes, metal hair clip, thrift store scarf, and backpack onto the conveyor belt. I'll stand, with my arms up, in between some big wall-like security screening thing, being careful to place my feet as far apart as the yellow foot-shaped markings on the ground are. Then, as long as I don't get selected for extra security checks, I will re-gather my things and get dressed again (unless I'm late for my flight. In that case I'll shove all my clothes back in my backpack and sprint while awkwardly holding up my pants).

When I arrive at the gate I will assess the situation. If all's calm and the usual scattered looking crowd is sitting patiently (or impatiently) in the divided airport seats, luggage sprawled, kindles blazing, then I breathe gently, check in with the attendants and they'll tell me to take a seat, "You'll be called once we've boarded."

If there's a mass of people gathered around the airline attendant, however, I might feel like crying. "Weather's bad. Our flights were cancelled this morning. Everyone's trying to get on this flight." Remember: standby.

When all looks hopeless for me I try to remember: this is an adventure. Trust. Maybe there's someone on the next flight I'm supposed to talk to. Flying standby has done more to build my faith than nearly anything else.

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain. We're talkin torrential downpour. I've decided to try and get on an earlier flight out of Chicago which means I will spend an extra 6 hours at an airport somewhere (either here or in Philly) but it's worth it. If I can't fit on the 9:40 flight, I'll take the 12:00 flight. If I can't take the 12:00 flight, I'll take the 4:05 one. I can't miss that flight to Israel.

I'm going to Israel. (!)

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Paradoxical virtues are important. We followers of Jesus must be toughminded and tenderhearted, as Martin Luther King said. That means we think well and we love well.

Though those two qualities seem contradictory, they are a perfect combo. One without the other is, in the end, deadly. Taking the complexity of this world's realities seriously will always leave us with mysteries.

I pray that, as I travel, I see more of what God sees. Including the paradoxes.