There is a saying, “When pigs fly.” I suppose the point of the saying is “the likelihood of that happening is remote.” As in, “Democrats and Republicans will agree when pigs fly.” Or, “Health insurance premiums will come down when pigs fly.” You get the point. So pigs flying is a sign that something strange is happening, something unusual is afoot.

A pig has flown. I mean recently, a pig has flown. This pig even flew first class. It flew US Airways, and the company, embarrassed, says it's never going to let it happen again. On October 17, the six-hour flight from Philadelphia to Seattle carried 201 passengers -- 200 people and one hog, which sat on the floor in the first row of first class.  "We can confirm that the pig traveled, and we can confirm that it will never happen again," US Airways spokesman David Castelveter said. "Let me stress that. It will never happen again." Sources familiar with the incident told the Philadelphia Daily News in Friday's editions that the hog's owners convinced the airline that the animal was a "therapeutic companion pet," like a guide dog for the blind.

The pig was traveling with two unidentified women who claimed they had a doctor's note that allowed them to fly with the animal, according to an internal airline report. US Airways and Federal Aviation Administration rules allow passengers to fly with service animals. The animal became unruly as the plane taxied toward the Seattle terminal, the report said, running through the jet, squealing and trying to get into the cockpit. "Many people on board the aircraft were quite upset that there was a large uncontrollable pig on board, especially those in the first-class cabin," the incident report stated.

The pig made it off the plane but continued squealing inside the Seattle airport.  FAA officials in Seattle said they were unfamiliar with the incident but promised to investigate.

Lewis Carroll of Alice in Wonderland fame may have been the first person to use the phrase in literature

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
--Lewis Carroll

Pigs flying is improbable but not impossible as we just heard. Over the years many silly things have been said or written about what else was impossible.

”This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
Western Union internal memo, 1876

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."
Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929

"Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances."
Dr. Lee De Forest, inventor of the vacuum tube and father of television

"I think there's a world market for about five computers."
Thomas J. Watson, Chairman of the Board, IBM

"The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives."
Admiral William Leahy, US Atomic Bomb Project

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"
Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer

"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this."
Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a "C," the idea must be feasible."
A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found Federal Express Corporation

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."
Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies

And what may be the ultimate misjudgement:
"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."
Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind"

While Lewis Carroll may be the first to write about pigs flying, I believe it is the gospel writer Mark who is the first to describe pigs flying (Mark 5). You see Jesus came to Gadarenes and was greeted by one of the locals. A man living in the tombs, a naked man who was possessed by evil. This man was certainly not on the travel brochure; he was the person the chamber of commerce didn’t want you to meet. As soon as Jesus arrived this man came running to meet him. Jesus attracted the wounded like a burning house attracts firemen. He cried out to Jesus, swinging his chains and yelling at the top of his voice. The townsfolk didn’t care much for the man; he was a plight on their town. An unwanted member of the community. A broken person. Who knows what drove him to his anti-social behavior. Maybe he was abused as a child. Maybe he was neglected by his parents. Molested by a stranger. Maybe he had gotten addicted to strong drink. Maybe his second wife had left him without any money. The reason he was in the state is not nearly as important as the fact that he was anti-social. All the latest literature said he was a victim and should seek intensive therapy. Everybody considered him a looser, a weakling, a has been. Whatever had happened it had broken him and the community had no room for broken people so they exiled him to the tombs where his anti-social behavior could not be seen. I can imagine the town folks gossip. “Do you think the “Tomb Dweller” will ever change, will he ever get over the divorce, the death, the abuse or whatever.” A friend would reply, “He’ll change when pigs fly.”

Jesus diagnosis the problem as evil spirits. Whatever it was Jesus knew one thing it was evil. He didn’t know where it came from, and seemingly didn’t care. The answer was to remove the evil spirits without hurting the man. The spirits know they are on borrowed time so they plead with Jesus to not exile them to the wilderness of the spirit world. Even spirits don’t want to be homeless. They convince Jesus to send them into a heard of swine. Jesus grants their wish and in short order the herd of swine begin to act strong headed and foolish. A few minutes later they are charging down a hill and off a cliff. So the pigs flew, no survivors were reported, except one, the flight was short but pigs did fly.

Today you may carry something in your past. It is none of our business what it is. For years it has exiled you from the mainstream, it has been your little secret. It has locked you up and you are wondering if you will ever get past the hurt and pain. You are wondering if you will ever be the same.  You may think it is only a remote possibility that you can be changed. You may believe you will change when pigs fly. Pigs have been known to fly.

Today may be the day when pigs fly in your life. You’ve been trying all your life to figure it out, to label it something. Apparently with Jesus the label is not as important as the willingness to come away from the tombs and toward Jesus. This morning make a step, a step away from the past that holds you, ask Jesus to remove the spirit and renew your spirit and then duck because pigs are about to fly.