Flight etiquette for Evangelicals

Jonathan Mayne internationally acclaimed canoe and rowing commentator tells a story of sitting next to someone in his interview on the Australian Missionary News IPTV

The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran a travel story on the ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’ of airline travel. Etiquette expert Anna Post wrote a set of rules one should follow to ensure a pleasant flight for yourself and your fellow passengers.

In her article, she asks such questions as, who owns the middle seat arm rests on an airplane, really? How do you break away from the marathon talker in seat 12E? And what do you do, if anything, about the angelic-looking child kicking the back of your seat?



“Incivility and rudeness are often the product of stress,” notes Anna Post, “And there are few situations more primed for stress these days than travel - especially air travel.”

Travellers once thought of an international flight as glamorous – or at least an adventure. However, today the reality is long queues for everything, rigid rules about baggage (with passengers stressed about whether their bags are 1kg overweight), rigorous security procedures – and more long queues. Then there is always the possibility of flight delays, which increases the anxiety some have about flying anyway. These things may not be new; but once on the plane, the seating now seems to be more cramped and the meal service reduced and of lower quality.

Post suggests that, in order to cope, passengers must be prepared to be patient, courteous and flexible. While you may have little or no control over long security lines, weather delays, the cabin environment or your choice of seat mate, you can control how you react to adversity. “A sense of humour will serve you wel,” she concludes.
She suggests a few tips to help people to cope, while planning their itineraries.
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/passenger-etiquette-the-rules-of-air-travel-20100406-roos.html

Anna Post, a spokesperson for the Emily Post Institute gives 10 of many etiquette suggestions for air travel in this Sydney Morning Herald article above, and a more detailed article can be read on the Emily Post Institute's web site.
http://www.emilypost.com/

All these suggestions on air travel etiquette got Well-Being Australia chairman Mark Tronson thinking not only of his own experiences, but of the world-wide family of evangelicals who, like him, are frequent flyers.

M V Tronson has therefore prepared a set of guidelines for Evangelical leaders who are frequent flyers.

You're tired, you've had an exhaustive set of evangelical services and rallies, you've addressed the young people and business groups, you've attended home groups and preached a number of times and all you want to do, is lie your head back, and doze off.

Alas, the person seated next to you is troubled. They may be going through a separation, maybe attending to a divorce, struggling with the kids, perhaps a family member is elderly and seriously ill, or perhaps it is the eternal trouble with work where ‘the boss doesn’t understand’, 'the pressure' - whatever - and they want to talk.

M V Tronson says that in his 28 years in faith mission sports ministry, he is yet to get on a plane and find the person next to him who is totally problem and trouble free. Even after a preliminary greeting, he like most Ministers have the spiritual antenna to know there is something going on deep inside someone's heart.

Only recently, while waiting in the Sydney airport terminal, an African American gentleman in his late twenties struck up a conversation with him. It transpired that his parents were committed Christians, but that he had strayed from the Lord's path, and he hadn't spoken to his mother for over a month. One thing led to another, and with a prayer of re-commitment to the Lord Jesus, the young man made a phone call to ‘Mom’ in the States.

So how should you, as an Evangelical layman, Minister or Leader respond? Mark Tronson gives four possible responses, and leaves the question open for you to think about with your heart and soul.

One: Do you totally ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit and go to sleep?

Two: Do you put aside the prompting of the Holy Spirit to sometime later in the flight and go to sleep, secretly hoping that when you wake up, the other person is asleep?

Three: Do you bring forth from your brief case your large thick black 'Holy Bible' and start reading aloud?

Four: Do you allow a conversation to develop and as the Holy Spirit opens the heart of the other person, you seek His guidance in how to respond?