Why Do We Love Fighter Jet Fly Overs?

I had the extreme honor to watch the Blue Angels perform over the ocean this past weekend.  They performed both Saturday and Sunday and I was there for both of them.  For those of you that may not know, the Blue Angels are fighter pilots out of the Navy who perform in air shows across the country.  They fly in formation with only inches between each plane and do high-speed fly-bys that are extremely dangerous.Maybe you have been to an event where they did a fly-over with some sort of aircraft.  Can you remember how excited the crowd got when they flew over?  I can tell you that there were thousands of people out at the beach this weekend just to watch these 6 pilots fly back and forth down the beach.So I started thinking, why do we enjoy this so much?  Here are a couple of reasons I came up with...

1. We love what it represents
2. We enjoy being close to something so powerful
3. It gives us a sense of comfort

1. We Love What it RepresentsSimply put, here in the US, that is AMERICA! We recognize that those planes that fly overhead represent our armed forces.  Does that mean that those planes are the only ones? No.  But its just a small representation of something much larger.  The connection here, is the church and God.  I would encourage you to look at yourself as a representation of something much larger (God).  Those pilots train and practice non-stop to get to represent their country in front of so many people.  If we took the same time and effort in our outward representation to others, then similar to how people talked about the Blue Angels all week, people would talk about Jesus long after a short interaction with you or the church.Ephesians 4:25 - "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."2. We Enjoy Being Close to Something So PowerfulEven though it scared me multiple times during the show, when they would fly over at a very low altitude, I loved the feeling of the power that it represents.  The one I remember the most is when they showed the full power of their after-burners.  Maybe its a guy thing, but it was really cool! When I thought about the power it represents, all they have to do is turn on the plane and take off to have access to that power.  As Christians we don't even have to go that far, God, through Jesus has given us direct access to His power.  All you have to do is ask and believe.  Prayer is how we access that power...just talk to God!Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."3. It Gives Us a Sense of ComfortI don't know about you, but when I see individuals flying like those guys and I realize that there are others just like them protecting our country, it gives me a sense of comfort knowing that they are looking out for us.  I know that people might not be as comfortable if it was me up in those planes.  All it took was me going and watching them to get that sense of comfort.  We have access to a very similar comfort in Christ, and that comes (for me at least) by opening up the Bible and reading.  Once you realize how powerful God is and what He has done up to this point and the promises He has made, it gives a great sense of comfort for me to go about my daily life.  Just like I don't have to fly the plane to get the comfort, I don't have to be God, I just have to know Him.Romans 15:4 - “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”Enjoy it the next time you get to witness a fly-over but know that Your God is bigger than those planes and even what they stand for, more powerful, and provides more comfort.