Ejector Seat
17th September 2024
It wasn't long into my working day and I saw a staff member who always tells me a joke. This one was told to him by his daughter.
“Why did the chicken cross the road?
“I don't know.”
“To see the idiot.”
[Silence and awkward look]
“I haven't finished yet Dad.”
“Knock knock”
“Who's there?”
“The chicken.”
Yes, we could all do with an ejector seat once in a while. And it would be an amazing encounter much later in the day that would lead me to reflect on such a thing.
All morning I had been thinking about slowing right down. Particularly after the lesson of unhurried from yesterday. In response, I've started this course from Renovaré.
https://renovare.org/courses/io
In the follow up podcast after the first session, which asks, “What is Spiritual Formation,” there's a dialogue where the presenters hone in on this idea. In it, Richard Foster uses this beautiful phrase, “the cosmic patience of God.”
I would recommend the free course.
So, I have had this in my mind throughout the day and into the At A Loss Workshop, where I had opportunity to practice this slowing down, during a visualisation reflection. The adherent on the course seemed to enjoy this moment to slow right down.
Our afternoon session finished a bit sooner than I was expecting and so I headed up to one of the wards. At first I didn't really know where I was heading, until I got to the intersection and something prompted me to go to the ward where I eventually ended up.
As soon as I walked through the door a staff member asked if I could go with her to chat with a patient who had been struggling. This was an obvious sign that I'd followed the right path. I had been rightly sensitive to this prompting.
The patient and I clicked straight away and we talked about a lot of different things and I asked him if he knew my wife's family, and so I gave the name.
As I said the name, a voice came from the opposite side of the hospital bay, “I do, he was in the RAF.”
Well now, what are the chances of that?
So, I talked a bit longer with the first patient and left him feeling a little brighter than I’d found him, and I made my way to find out about the gentleman who knew my wife's family. He was in the RAF too and so he knew Albert. Sometimes you are just blown away by the connections you discover in the world of the wards.
So, we also talked about his experience and his job and his life and so on. Turns out he used to be a fireman on the airfield and had a special job of saving pilots after a crash. This involved putting a pin in the ejector seat so they could safely extricate the pilot from the aircraft.
It was a fascinating conversation, made all the more memorable because of how I ended up being at his bedside.
Before a crash it can be favourable to deploy the ejector seat but afterwards, it is not favourable for it to go off at all. Hence the need to secure it.
Here's a fascinating note on a seat that can be found in the collection at the RAF museum.
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/ejection-seat-martin-baker-mk-2/
And information about the club it references can be found here.
https://martin-baker.com/tie-club/
Basically, anyone whose life has been saved by this ejector seat can become a member of the tie club.
Being a chaplain is rich ground for such amazing treasure. To be able to slow down and listen. To be unhurried. To pop up at just the right time. To open your ears to hear.
Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Mark 4:9 NIV
I came across this song earlier, which seems to speak into the events of the day.
The world's spinning faster and faster
But I'm standing still
I'm holding these questions while
Second guessing what to feel
Days keep passing and passing
They've all felt the same
But when I turn around
What I thought was a drought held the rain
I know that there is purpose in this waiting
Hope's alive and strength is rising in this place
I'm tired and hurting
Weary and worried
But I know there's joy up ahead
Cause You said
The wait won't be wasted
Pain can cast a long shadow
That covers the sun
But the pain of refining
Holds a sweet silver lining when it's done
I'm finally starting to see it
These glimpses of truth
Oh, my heart may be broken
But I'm so glad it brought me to You
I'm amazed at all the people I've been brought to.
I'm amazed at how often I see God's hand guiding me.