by Jackie Nink Pflug
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
Although this book was written some time ago, it has salient points about what we need to pay attention to in our society. The author was on Egypt Flight 648 when it was hijacked in November 1985. Millions of concerned readers and viewers followed the fate of passengers from fourteen nations who were left to the mercy of three cold-blooded killers. As time passed and the immediate crisis faded, the story of the hijacking of Egypt Air Flight 648 slowly drifted to the back pages of the major papers and eventually disappeared.
The story behind the story started in the quiet and lonely place where she came face to face with the fear, anger, sadness, and grief stirred by the hijacking. It starts on the long road to recovery. It starts when she begins to own her bitterness, pain, and many losses. It starts when the author asked herself what she was going to do about it. The three major goals were to raise her reading level, drive again, and go back to work and to come back strong. Nink tells the story of survival and healing in a very detailed manner.
The author states: “Through the hijacking and years of recovery, I pulled God out of Heaven. I no longer believe God is up in Heaven and the devil is down in hell—that good and evil are “out there” somewhere. God gives us the free will to choose to live in Heaven or hell. I believe Heaven and hell are not actual physical places, but states of mind, attitude and being we can all experience here on earth. As Jesus said, “I have come to bring the kingdom. The kingdom is here now.” I believe God is inside us all, that our souls are connected to the very essence of God-the creator and sustainer of the universe.” I believe we’re all born with an Inner Voice, that’s what it means when the Bible says we are created in the image of God. Our Inner Voice is constantly leading us to health, wholeness and fulfillment.”
This is a book that touches the reader in a special way giving voice to her turning to God and others in the long process of healing. She is motivated to tell the story in a way that is beneficial to each reader.