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,
kitchen deep cleaning Deerfield ..The tongue is such a tiny little organ. Yet, it... Read More
The deeper beauty of spring is its process. In winter's... Read More
I know eyebrows are probably raising about now, but let... Read More
Just for a moment think of what is stopping you... Read More
An analysis of Western man's guiding presuppositions, A Review of... Read More
Malice is a great enemy to mankind. It is evil... Read More
One cannot make a decision in the moment of now.... Read More
I do not want curiosity seekers, who come for a... Read More
(Channelled)Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth.What has love got to... Read More
The essence of the Christian faith is the good news... Read More
Kundalini Awakening - the sure shot method for awakening of... Read More
When the body of Christ isn't protected we become vulnerable... Read More
The human body is surely a miracle of God's creation.... Read More
So I met a friend recently and we went to... Read More
Do you know where your current path is taking you?Education,... Read More
I was originally brought up Catholic, at the insistence of... Read More
Do you want victory in your life? Do you have... Read More
1. Identify a woman who is "like minded," who has... Read More
Iktomi:Another and somewhat longer term correspondent of mine is a... Read More
As a Coach and Psychotherapist I have found that the... Read More
We hear this word so often and have one thing... Read More
One of the first issues people on the spiritual path... Read More
Ever wonder what happened to the family dinner hour? Or... Read More
The still place is the beginning. Settle in there, ask... Read More
1. The name Michael means, "Who is like God". In... Read More
interior house cleaning Highland Park ..For the last 35 years, I have been working with... Read More
What does it mean to be comfortable in your own... Read More
Let me explain my approach to the practice of ritual.... Read More
The more that "little me" allows surrender the more is... Read More
Vanity - it's easy to mask, easy to forget, and... Read More
We often forget that we are human beings first, and... Read More
I know God will not give me anything I can't... Read More
I have a long-term goal--a life-long goal really--to develop the... Read More
How many Christian people do you know who are bearing... Read More
There is no shortage in the abundance of blessings we... Read More
It has long been surmised that emotional trauma can lead... Read More
Talked to an interesting person today at a coffee shop,... Read More
Not a Failure!Those of you who are unemployed, or desire... Read More
Jesus said, "No one can see the Kingdom of Heaven... Read More
Setting boundaries is a common expression that we hear almost... Read More
I am sure many of you reading this article have... Read More
Why do we have an Ego?Almost all spiritual guides say... Read More
Of the many individuals who were touched through the ministry... Read More
"They're crazy!" That's what they're saying about us. The majority... Read More
When I first heard Donnie McClurkin's song, "We Fall Down... Read More
Tony was a professinoal salt-water fisherman. He explained how he... Read More
Prayer. It's the foundation of a Christian mom's life. Why?... Read More
Most of us are familiar with the inner criticism and... Read More
Mother Nature has this uncanny tendency to turn upon herself... Read More
There are many different and interchangeable terms that are used... Read More
Spirituality |