Friday, February 3, 2012

   '"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."
         --Joseph Campbell

    "Your heroes will help you find good in yourself."
          --Randy Travis

  "From out of the clear blue of the western sky comes Sky King."  Perhaps you remember those words from the opening of the television series.  He was not like the Lone Ranger who hopped on his horse, and in a cloud of dust, "Hi-yo, Silver, away."  Nor was he like Hoppy, Gene, or Roy who would grab their trusty steed and gallop over the range.  Sky King would climb aboard his Cessna 310, buckle himself in, start the engines, and then off into the wild blue.  Roy would say, "Come on Trigger," but it would not sound right for Sky King to whistle and say "into the air, ol' Songbird."
   It was a little different from the typical western.  The cowboy of the air would not only fight villains, but would stop acts of espionage and sabatoge--things that would thwart our democratic system.  His niece Penny, and if I recall right, his nephew's name was Clip or Chip, would often find themselves in trouble.  Penny was especially adept at doing this.  She would stumble into something, or be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Often captured, and then Sky King to the rescue.  I'm not sure if anyone ever found themselves in more predicaments than Penny.  But always faithful and diligent, Sky King would be her savior.
   Hmmmm, now just look at that.  That sure does sound a lot like me.  Things happen, get captured, fall into the wrong hands, do the wrong things, continually find myself contrary to what I am supposed to do.  Then out of the clear blue western sky comes the true, the ultimate SKY KING.  The One who is not only the King of the Skies, but also of the universe.  It seems like He is always coming to my aid despite the messes in which I find myself.
   I am not sure that "Songbird," the Cessna 310 was to represent the dove of the Holy Spirit but it was always there on time to rescue with the pilot Sky King.  One day soon, it just cannot be too long away, our Lord, the real "Sky King," out of the eastern sky will appear to bring an end to this age as we know it.
                                                                             Ira Paine
     "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man."  --Matthew 24:27 (HCSB)