On January 13th 1982 an Air Florida flight crashed off the 14th Street Bridge in Washington DC. It was a bridge I had traveled across many times before during the year I lived in DC. The entire event was being broadcast live and I sat glued to the TV as the big Boeing 737 slid ever so slowly into the swirling ice cold waters of the Potomac River. Only five people out of the 79 that were onboard that flight survived the crash.
Two of those who survived owe their lives to the heroism and selflessness of a 46 year old man named "Arland D. Williams Jr." who was a bank examiner. I did not know his name for twenty years after the crash but it is a name I will probably never forget.
Because of the heavy traffic around DC and on the bridge that day the emergency vehicles were seriously hindered from reaching the scene. In the interim two TV news copters did the best they could to pull the few people who had made it to the surface out of the water. It was noble effort on their part because the wind driven snow was a screaming polar bear closing in on the prey.
I watched in stark amazement as one copter lowered a small life ring to a white haired gentleman in the frozen raging soup. He grabbed the ring but then worked it over to another passenger who was then lifted to safety. The copter returned and once again lowered the ring to the gentleman who pushed it over to another passenger yet again. By the time the copter returned for the third time the distinguished gentleman was slipping beneath the stinging waters never to be seen again on that day.
For weeks I could not get that picture out of my mind, but I didn't want to get it out of my mind. I felt I had witnessed the best example I had seen in my lifetime of perfect and selfless love. I have told this story countless times in my messages as a preacher of the gospel. I still get choked up with emotion and with the same feelings I had when I watched the events unfold before me. There is an inestimable sense of admiration and respect I feel for Mr. Williams. I often see myself looking and calling for friends and loved ones when I get to heaven. I also see myself asking the Lord for an introduction to Mr. Williams so I can see and embrace one of the bravest men and best examples of love I ever hope to know in this life.
Mr. Williams gave a living and lasting example to me of just what Jesus was talking about when he said?"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13 KJV. Thank you for this example Mr. Williams.
The 14th Street Bridge has been renamed the "Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge." Several memorials to Mr. Williams have been placed at "The Citadel" in South Carolina which he graduated from in 1957. In His hometown of Mattoon, Illinois the elementary school was named after Mr. Williams in 2003.
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote "Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You," publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled "An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ." His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth" Rev Bresciani's website is,
scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..The famous prayer of Jabez, where Jabez prayed for prosperity,... Read More
Is your hope in God? Or, is it in people?I... Read More
Imagine the Bible is a sharp and deadly double-edged sword,... Read More
I cringed lower into the seat of my grey metal... Read More
'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom... Read More
There are many contradictions in life and none more easily... Read More
There is no incident in the life of Moses which... Read More
The Mystical Experience"The mysteries of life become lucid ? and... Read More
Some say praising Jesus is just singing. Others say it... Read More
In the interest of mankind the Angels are delivering messages... Read More
I still remember the scene vividly. I was getting out... Read More
Sometimes you have to see something to believe it. Like... Read More
Even Pandora and her box come in two versions. In... Read More
I believe in the source we refer to as 'God'.... Read More
Many of us have been taught that it is wrong... Read More
"Who being in the very nature God, did not consider... Read More
WHAT IS E.V.P.?EVP stands for electronic voice phenomena, some believe... Read More
The junk I'm talking about is the stuff that we... Read More
What type of person grabs your attention and motivates you?... Read More
"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because... Read More
As Christians, we know we need God in every aspect... Read More
Whadda ya know?Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?... Read More
Self-actualization comes down to three basic premises: this is who... Read More
(Channelled)Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth.What has love got to... Read More
The world's idea of justice and freedom fall short of... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..Enlightenment can come in an instant or it may take... Read More
I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More
We know that David did much to stabilize the Kingdom... Read More
Originating in what is now modern India; Tantra is at... Read More
You're probably sabotaging your successful Christian life right now if... Read More
You may ask, "What are hot buttons anyway?"Hot buttons are... Read More
It was in the middle of the night and the... Read More
Would you like an exciting and wonder-full resolution for the... Read More
I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and... Read More
We see it all the time in people's lives some... Read More
Love...it's a deep emotion. Sometimes we say it in jest... Read More
It is important and necessary that we regularly spend time... Read More
We shamans are a strange breed.....often we tend to isolate... Read More
The Angelic realms have been very active throughout the human... Read More
It was said that Caesar Augustus one night consulted his... Read More
It is tough being here on this plane. You have... Read More
Recently I was watching a re-run of "Everybody Loves Raymond".... Read More
Hello, My name is Mellody Davis and here is my... Read More
Sometimes trying to be spiritual holds us back from actually... Read More
This article is the 1st part of an open response... Read More
One does not have to live long to realize that... Read More
I have almost died twice in my life. The first... Read More
Being"You have taken yourself to be something that you are... Read More
You decide! We are often asked to make decisions. Decision... Read More
All Shamans have several power songs because the vibration of... Read More
Spirituality |