Christmas Message for December 24, 2008
To my dear Republic family,
It is Christmas Eve and thus another season of Advent comes to a close and the
season of Christmas begins.
Advent, which is a season of preparation, is something I think most airline people can
really understand because it takes a lot of preparation to operate our flights safely and
reliably every day. It doesn’t just happen by chance or a stroke of good luck that we
have been able to fly for nearly 35 years with a perfect passenger safety record; it is a
testament to the training and preparation of all our people. We take our jobs seriously
and thus we take the preparation phase of flight just as seriously as the take off and
landing phases of flight. So we, more than most, can appreciate the necessity
preparation in anticipation of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this year has been more difficult than years past to prepare a way for the Lord?
No one can deny the economy is in bad shape and will likely get worse before it gets
better. People are losing jobs in record numbers. It seems like everyone is jockeying
for a bail out from Washington. We don’t know what the future holds and that
uncertainty makes us fearful. There is nothing unusual about that is there?
No, a little fear can be a healthy thing. Without some capacity for fear, we might all
engage in ultra-risky activities, never worrying about the consequences of our choices.
That would not be a good thing in our business. However, there is a point we cross
where healthy fear becomes irrational fear; the kind of fear that paralyzes us from going
about our daily lives in a healthy way. So for my Christmas message this year I want to
try and bring some perspective into the holiday conversation.
The most oft quoted phrase in scripture is “Do not be afraid”. God knows our capacity
for fear can be exploited and turned against us by those that seek to bring us harm.
This was certainly one of the goals of the 9-11 terrorists. Yet God has also given us the
capacity for hope and the intellect to act rationally. God has given us a simple formula
for happiness in a set of 10 commandments. When we obey these principles in our
daily lives we are assured of a good outcome. God has also given us great words of
advice in the scriptures in the books of Wisdom and Sirach. I encourage everyone to
spend time reading these scriptures this holiday season. I will give you just one
passage from Sirach chapter 40:1-7:
To my dear Republic family,
It is Christmas Eve and thus another season of Advent comes to a close and the
season of Christmas begins.
Advent, which is a season of preparation, is something I think most airline people can
really understand because it takes a lot of preparation to operate our flights safely and
reliably every day. It doesn’t just happen by chance or a stroke of good luck that we
have been able to fly for nearly 35 years with a perfect passenger safety record; it is a
testament to the training and preparation of all our people. We take our jobs seriously
and thus we take the preparation phase of flight just as seriously as the take off and
landing phases of flight. So we, more than most, can appreciate the necessity
preparation in anticipation of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this year has been more difficult than years past to prepare a way for the Lord?
No one can deny the economy is in bad shape and will likely get worse before it gets
better. People are losing jobs in record numbers. It seems like everyone is jockeying
for a bail out from Washington. We don’t know what the future holds and that
uncertainty makes us fearful. There is nothing unusual about that is there?
No, a little fear can be a healthy thing. Without some capacity for fear, we might all
engage in ultra-risky activities, never worrying about the consequences of our choices.
That would not be a good thing in our business. However, there is a point we cross
where healthy fear becomes irrational fear; the kind of fear that paralyzes us from going
about our daily lives in a healthy way. So for my Christmas message this year I want to
try and bring some perspective into the holiday conversation.
The most oft quoted phrase in scripture is “Do not be afraid”. God knows our capacity
for fear can be exploited and turned against us by those that seek to bring us harm.
This was certainly one of the goals of the 9-11 terrorists. Yet God has also given us the
capacity for hope and the intellect to act rationally. God has given us a simple formula
for happiness in a set of 10 commandments. When we obey these principles in our
daily lives we are assured of a good outcome. God has also given us great words of
advice in the scriptures in the books of Wisdom and Sirach. I encourage everyone to
spend time reading these scriptures this holiday season. I will give you just one
passage from Sirach chapter 40:1-7:
A great anxiety has God allotted, and a heavy yoke, to the sons of men;
From the day one leaves his mother’s womb to the day he returns to the mother
of all the living,
His thoughts, the fear in his heart, and his troubled forebodings till the day he
dies-
Whether he sits on a lofty throne or grovels in dust and ashes,
Whether he bears a splendid crown or is wrapped in the coarsest of cloaksAre
of wrath and envy, trouble and dread, terror of death, fury and strife.
Even when he lies on his bed to rest, his cares at night disturb his sleep.
So short is his rest it seems like none, till in his dreams he struggles as he did by
day,
Terrified by what his mind’s eye sees, like a fugitive being pursued;
As he reaches safety, he wakes up astonished that there was nothing to fear.
From the day one leaves his mother’s womb to the day he returns to the mother
of all the living,
His thoughts, the fear in his heart, and his troubled forebodings till the day he
dies-
Whether he sits on a lofty throne or grovels in dust and ashes,
Whether he bears a splendid crown or is wrapped in the coarsest of cloaksAre
of wrath and envy, trouble and dread, terror of death, fury and strife.
Even when he lies on his bed to rest, his cares at night disturb his sleep.
So short is his rest it seems like none, till in his dreams he struggles as he did by
day,
Terrified by what his mind’s eye sees, like a fugitive being pursued;
As he reaches safety, he wakes up astonished that there was nothing to fear.
I think what the writer was trying to convey here is that we tend to look at life with a
negative viewpoint (the glass is half empty) and we get all worked up about things we
can not control rather than live our lives as God intended for us. If we allow fear to
consume us, not only are we acting in a way which is contrary to God’s plan for us, but
we waste energy in fruitless worrying. Trust in God; trust in His plan for you and be
open to that plan in daily prayer. Strive for the virtues of humility, fortitude and
perseverance. These are the keys to grace and in taking control of your life.
Why humility? With humility comes the realization that there are limits to what we can
do. We are not invincible nor are we infallible. We are human and we make mistakes.
Maybe you or someone you know finds themselves in a mortgage they can no longer
afford. Don’t despair and don’t put off facing up to the situation. Go to your bank and
engage them on a workout plan. You need their help and you should not hesitate to ask
for it. The proud will be brought low and the humble will be exalted.
Why fortitude? God does not promise that life will be easy. In fact it is clear that life is
meant to be filled with hard work; work, after all, is good for the soul. However, the
virtue of fortitude gives us the ability to find a sense of satisfaction from doing a job well
or in doing a job others tend to fail at. And the harder the work the greater the sense of
accomplishment we enjoy. Work is a gift that goes beyond the necessary financial
reward we receive and need order to live in this world. That is why when we lose our
jobs our sense of loss is much greater than just losing a paycheck. I’m fond of saying if
you don’t love your job then your in the wrong job. Life is too short to keep doing work
you don’t really enjoy and chances are if you really don’t enjoy what you do, you are
probably not doing it very well either. So from this perspective, now might be the
perfect time to go back to school, get a new set of skills and enter into a new career.
Having a deep reservoir of fortitude will allow you to turn a negative into a positive.
Why perseverance? This virtue is the spiritual glue that holds us together. When I see
Christ on the cross I see perseverance. No matter how bad my day is going or how
many things seem to be stacking up against us, I see Jesus on the cross holding his
arms out to embrace us. Suddenly all my troubles seem so insignificant. In Christ, not
only has God set before us an example of unending love but also a reminder of our own
spiritual resiliency. We have the power to overcome great adversity if only we are
willing to surrender ourselves to our creator.
So much for the spiritual advice…the best “earthly” advice I can give you is to try and
replace uncertainty with certainty. What does that mean? Well if you, your spouse or
maybe a friend is worried about their financial situation, then do something about it. Sit
down and make up a real budget. Look at how you spend your money and stop wasting
your resources on things you can happily live without. Do you need cable TV? Do you
have an unhealthy and expensive Starbucks habit? Do you really have to have the
latest high tech gadget in order to be happy? If you can’t stand watching your 401K
balance shrink, then do something about it. Reallocate your asset mix in to less risky
and less volatile investments (more cash and bonds and less equities until the market
calms down). Open a savings account and put away 1% of your gross pay check each
payday into a rainy day fund. And tear up all those unnecessary credit cards. Get
down to one card and keep the balance manageable. For those things you really want
or need; save up for them rather than buying on credit. Shop smartly for the best deals
to make your money go farther. Once you are in control of your finances then a lot of
the fear goes away.
In his first inaugural address, FDR said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. I
suspect we will hear something similar from President-elect Obama in his first inaugural
address. But it still holds true today. Our country has survived a bloody civil war, two
world wars, several recessions and a great depression. We will survive the current
economic crisis and better times lie ahead. We must just be prepared to preserve
through the current turmoil.
Please do not waste this Christmas season (or any other) worrying about things beyond
your control. Instead of watching countless hours of TV, try reading scripture and
praying for a few minutes each day. Ask yourself what is God’s plan for my life? Am I
doing His will? Each of has a purpose and when we are doing His will we will know
great joy and happiness; for this is God’s plan for us.
I wish each of you and your family’s a joy-filled Christmas holiday and peaceful New
Year.
And for our brothers and sisters who follow a different path, I wish each of you and your
family’s peace and joy this holiday season.
God bless you all,
Bryannegative viewpoint (the glass is half empty) and we get all worked up about things we
can not control rather than live our lives as God intended for us. If we allow fear to
consume us, not only are we acting in a way which is contrary to God’s plan for us, but
we waste energy in fruitless worrying. Trust in God; trust in His plan for you and be
open to that plan in daily prayer. Strive for the virtues of humility, fortitude and
perseverance. These are the keys to grace and in taking control of your life.
Why humility? With humility comes the realization that there are limits to what we can
do. We are not invincible nor are we infallible. We are human and we make mistakes.
Maybe you or someone you know finds themselves in a mortgage they can no longer
afford. Don’t despair and don’t put off facing up to the situation. Go to your bank and
engage them on a workout plan. You need their help and you should not hesitate to ask
for it. The proud will be brought low and the humble will be exalted.
Why fortitude? God does not promise that life will be easy. In fact it is clear that life is
meant to be filled with hard work; work, after all, is good for the soul. However, the
virtue of fortitude gives us the ability to find a sense of satisfaction from doing a job well
or in doing a job others tend to fail at. And the harder the work the greater the sense of
accomplishment we enjoy. Work is a gift that goes beyond the necessary financial
reward we receive and need order to live in this world. That is why when we lose our
jobs our sense of loss is much greater than just losing a paycheck. I’m fond of saying if
you don’t love your job then your in the wrong job. Life is too short to keep doing work
you don’t really enjoy and chances are if you really don’t enjoy what you do, you are
probably not doing it very well either. So from this perspective, now might be the
perfect time to go back to school, get a new set of skills and enter into a new career.
Having a deep reservoir of fortitude will allow you to turn a negative into a positive.
Why perseverance? This virtue is the spiritual glue that holds us together. When I see
Christ on the cross I see perseverance. No matter how bad my day is going or how
many things seem to be stacking up against us, I see Jesus on the cross holding his
arms out to embrace us. Suddenly all my troubles seem so insignificant. In Christ, not
only has God set before us an example of unending love but also a reminder of our own
spiritual resiliency. We have the power to overcome great adversity if only we are
willing to surrender ourselves to our creator.
So much for the spiritual advice…the best “earthly” advice I can give you is to try and
replace uncertainty with certainty. What does that mean? Well if you, your spouse or
maybe a friend is worried about their financial situation, then do something about it. Sit
down and make up a real budget. Look at how you spend your money and stop wasting
your resources on things you can happily live without. Do you need cable TV? Do you
have an unhealthy and expensive Starbucks habit? Do you really have to have the
latest high tech gadget in order to be happy? If you can’t stand watching your 401K
balance shrink, then do something about it. Reallocate your asset mix in to less risky
and less volatile investments (more cash and bonds and less equities until the market
calms down). Open a savings account and put away 1% of your gross pay check each
payday into a rainy day fund. And tear up all those unnecessary credit cards. Get
down to one card and keep the balance manageable. For those things you really want
or need; save up for them rather than buying on credit. Shop smartly for the best deals
to make your money go farther. Once you are in control of your finances then a lot of
the fear goes away.
In his first inaugural address, FDR said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. I
suspect we will hear something similar from President-elect Obama in his first inaugural
address. But it still holds true today. Our country has survived a bloody civil war, two
world wars, several recessions and a great depression. We will survive the current
economic crisis and better times lie ahead. We must just be prepared to preserve
through the current turmoil.
Please do not waste this Christmas season (or any other) worrying about things beyond
your control. Instead of watching countless hours of TV, try reading scripture and
praying for a few minutes each day. Ask yourself what is God’s plan for my life? Am I
doing His will? Each of has a purpose and when we are doing His will we will know
great joy and happiness; for this is God’s plan for us.
I wish each of you and your family’s a joy-filled Christmas holiday and peaceful New
Year.
And for our brothers and sisters who follow a different path, I wish each of you and your
family’s peace and joy this holiday season.
God bless you all,
