Charlie Kirk and Graham Hood Discuss Keeping the Sabbath as a Pilot in Modern Times
Enjoying this? Share it with someone who needs to see it.
Up Next
Charlie Kirk Reveals How the Sabbath Commandment Saved His Life and Transformed His Career
1:06:23
Charlie Kirk Destroys the Myth That America Was Not Founded on Christian Principles With Historical Evidence
5:38
Charlie Kirk Explains Why Christians Should Honor the Sabbath on Saturday Not Sunday
3:34
Charlie Kirk and Graham Hood Discuss Keeping the Sabbath as a Pilot in Modern Times
Graham Hood, a former Australian pilot, shares his remarkable testimony with Charlie Kirk about navigating Sabbath observance during his aviation career. Hood recounts how he managed flight schedules to honor the Sabbath, the tough decisions he faced when pressured to work on Saturdays, and the incredible divine appointments that resulted from his faithfulness. From speaking to crowds of over a million people at rallies to being the unexpected answer to a struggling couple's prayer at 30,000 feet, Hood's story demonstrates how God honors those who honor Him. Charlie Kirk reflects on the balance between the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy and the equally important commandment to work productively for six days, emphasizing how the rhythm creates healthy urgency and purpose in daily life.
A Pilot's Challenge: Honoring the Sabbath in the Skies
Graham Hood, a former pilot from Australia, faced a unique challenge in his career: how to honor the Sabbath commandment while working in an industry that operates seven days a week. Speaking with Charlie Kirk, Hood explained that he typically received his flight roster a month in advance, which allowed him to plan around the Sabbath. As a senior pilot, he had enough seniority to keep Saturdays off most of the time.
When conflicts arose, Hood would often give his Saturday shifts to colleagues who wanted the overtime work. He reframed this in his mind as creating opportunities for others rather than simply avoiding work. However, Hood acknowledged the financial sacrifice involved, noting that he viewed it as "saving up for my inheritance in heaven."
The Pressure to Compromise
Over a ten-year period, Hood received approximately ten calls from his boss pressuring him to work on the Sabbath. The stakes were high—if he refused, flights would be cancelled and passengers would be disrupted across the airline's network. Each time, Hood faced a difficult decision.
He prayed intensely about these situations. Hood considered calling in sick but rejected the idea, reasoning, "What's the point of breaking one commandment to keep another if you're lying? You're not sick?" This moral clarity was central to his approach.
When Hood felt led to work on the Sabbath after prayer, he transformed the day into "God's day." He looked for opportunities to minister to people, whether crew members or ground staff. Hood had built a reputation as someone who could be approached about personal matters. He consistently found that every time he worked on the Sabbath after prayerful consideration, there was someone he needed to minister to, and he always felt he had done good for God.
Speaking at Rallies During the Sabbath
Hood became a prominent speaker during Australia's freedom rallies, events that typically took place on Saturdays. As one of the main speakers in that movement, he was repeatedly asked to attend Saturday rallies. He consistently declined, offering to speak any other day of the week.
When organizers of a major Sydney rally expected to draw 350,000 people asked him to reconsider, Hood initially refused. They pressed him to at least pray about it, suggesting his words might encourage many people. Hood prayed extensively about the decision.
At 2:30 one morning, Hood sat upright in bed with a clear impression from God: "You're not going to a rally, you're going to church." This reframing changed everything for him.
Hood attended the Sydney rally and spoke about the Sabbath. Before going onstage, organizers asked him not to pray and not to mention God. Hood disregarded these instructions. He told the crowd of 350,000 people that it was his Sabbath day, that he was a Sabbath keeper, and that they were his church for that day. The crowd cheered. He then prayed and shared his consistent message at rallies: that Jesus is coming soon and people need to get ready.
The results were remarkable. Hood reports that almost a million copies of "The Great Controversy" have been distributed at these Australian rallies. In the past year alone, 350 people have been baptized as a result of the message shared at these events. The largest rally Hood attended drew an estimated 1.2 million people.
Hood and his wife Michelle have prayed for thousands of people at these rallies, often sitting for four hours with a continuous stream of people. Notably, many were atheists who would say, "Can you please pray for me? I don't believe in God but can you please pray for me."
The Divine Appointment at 30,000 Feet
Hood shared one of the most profound experiences from what he believes was the last time he worked on a Sabbath at Qantas, Australia's flag carrier airline. The schedule involved flying from Brisbane to Sydney on Friday evening, arriving at the close of Sabbath, staying overnight, then flying from Sydney to Alice Springs and back to Sydney the next morning, returning right at the close of Sabbath.
Hood was determined to find someone to minister to, since he had decided to work that day. He asked his co-pilot how he was doing, pressing beyond the superficial "fine" response. He asked all the cabin crew the same probing questions. Nothing. The entire day to Alice Springs and back to Sydney produced no ministry opportunities.
Hood was dejected as the sun went down behind the terminal. He told his co-pilot he didn't want to stay in the cockpit any longer and would wait for him at the back wall of the terminal. He was angry with himself for not finding anyone to minister to.
As Hood stood against the back wall, passengers came off the jetway. Everyone deplaned except for the last two—a couple. As they walked past, the woman said, "Happy Sabbath."
Surprised, Hood asked how she knew. She explained she had seen his testimony on television. She recognized him as "the porn guy"—a reference to his testimony about overcoming pornography addiction. She mentioned that Hood was scheduled to preach at a church in Brisbane the following week and asked if she and her husband could attend. Hood agreed, though he noticed the husband looked "white as a ghost."
The Rest of the Story
The following Sabbath, the couple came to the church where Hood gave his testimony. Sitting with the husband afterward, Hood asked why he seemed so nervous and shaky. The man shared an incredible story.
The couple had traveled to Alice Springs for a holiday in Australia's Red Center. They had planned to fly out on Monday but received a call from the airline two days before saying they had to fly out on Saturday because the Monday flight was cancelled. Their options were Saturday or Wednesday—and taking the Wednesday flight would cost an additional $800.
The couple explained they were Sabbath keepers and didn't travel on Saturday. The airline presented the options as final. After much deliberation, they decided to take the Saturday flight that was offered.
While packing at their hotel in Alice Springs, the wife had a shower first, then began packing her husband's bag while he showered. She opened his computer to turn it off and discovered pornography on it.
The husband had struggled with pornography since puberty, like Hood himself once had. He had been viewing pornography while his wife was in the shower. When she confronted him, she told him their marriage was over. She couldn't deal with it anymore and felt he never sought help despite her repeated requests.
The husband pleaded with her, asking who could help him. She mentioned Graham Hood, whose testimony they had both watched several times. The husband responded, "How would I know how to contact him? If God wants me to talk to Graham Hood, he'll send me a sign."
Shortly after, they boarded the flight from Alice Springs to Sydney. As was his job, Hood picked up the microphone to make the passenger announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. My name is Graham Hood. Welcome aboard."
Hood felt the airplane trembling from the back—it was the husband's physical reaction to this divine appointment.
After the couple attended Hood's sermon the following week, they talked extensively. Hood and his wife Michelle enrolled them in a marriage boot camp that they run. Hood believes the couple is still together and thriving today.
The Theological Simplicity of Sabbath Keeping
Hood emphasized that his approach to the Sabbath is as much practical as theological. He loves the Sabbath and looks forward to it. When God says to "remember" something, Hood believes we need to pay attention. He keeps it simple, which he says has helped him lead many people to Sabbath observance.
Hood offered an analogy: If your earthly father, whom you loved and adored, gave you a precious gift that he put much time into creating, and then weeks later he saw that gift for sale on Facebook Marketplace, it would break his heart. Hood sees the Sabbath the same way from God's perspective. When the Sabbath day was changed in church history, it was essentially saying, "Hey God, we really love that idea of the Sabbath, but you know, it doesn't quite fit into our schedule. So if you don't mind, we'll change the day. Is that okay with you?"
For Hood, it comes down to this: The Sabbath is the only commandment God specifically tells us to remember. His position is clear—"I'm not going to take that chance. It's honor the Sabbath or potentially die."
Charlie Kirk's Perspective: The Balance of Work and Rest
Charlie Kirk added his own reflection on the commandment, emphasizing that sometimes he has to break the Sabbath for events or conferences where people are counting on his appearance. He acknowledged the difficulty of these situations, particularly not wanting to lie or mislead.
Kirk highlighted an often-missed aspect of the Sabbath commandment: "For six days you shall work." He noted that it's also a commandment to work and to be fruitful and multiply during those other six days. The commandment isn't just about rest—it's equally about productive work.
Kirk has found that observing the Sabbath creates healthy urgency during the other six days, making him more productive because there is an end in sight. It prevents life from becoming a perpetual motion machine of seven days of work with no respite. Referencing Scripture, Kirk noted that "if you shall not work, you shall not eat." God doesn't want us to rest for seven days straight—vacations are fine, but working for God's purposes is an equal part of the commandment that is sometimes missed.
Conclusion
Hood concluded by expressing his love for discussing the Sabbath and his willingness to talk about it extensively. The panel discussion ended with Hood receiving a gift—a copy of "The Great Controversy"—and an encouragement to continue studying the Sabbath. Hood's final words to the audience were simple and direct: "Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy. God bless you guys."
