In what is now a widely read event, a Southwest Airlines 737 last week suffered a catastrophic engine failure that crippled the airplane and claimed the life of a passenger.

The pilot was Tammie Jo Shults, and her First Officer was Darren Ellisor.

A few news outlets have made a point of covering the fact Shults is a former fighter pilot, having flown F/A-18s for the Navy. A few have also noted her faith plays an important in her life and her profession:

Tammie Jo Shults…is a recognizable figure at the Texas Hill Country church, which averages 900 in worship. She has led the children’s worship program at First Baptist and taught Sunday School for children, middle schoolers, high schoolers and adults, said Staci Thompson, a longtime friend and administrative assistant in the church office…

Shults’ “biggest goal” amid the emergency landing and subsequent media coverage, Thompson said, “is that she can share her faith and it resonate and awaken people’s eyes to how great a God we have.”…

Thompson said Shults long has evidenced a heart for evangelism…[and she] shares her faith in Christ with co-captains on Southwest flights.

“I hear stories about hard times that different co-captains have been going through,” Thompson said, “and how she just gets to pray over them and give them Scripture and give them love.”

Some proponents of political correctness would believe Shults should keep her faith inside the four walls of her church and would take issue with her boldness in her faith. Yet those same people would appear to have a hard time finding someone in the past 30 years who had actually complained about Shults or her faith.

And those same critics are silent right now, because Shults isn’t an easy target. Along with her first officer, she proved herself professional, competent, compassionate, and caring. Kind of hard to attack a hero’s faith.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. – 1 Peter 2:12

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