Believe in omens? Occurrences that portend future events? Either way, let us celebrate the miracle of the Hudson River off Manhattan. An Airbus laden with 150 souls had struck a flight of geese upon takeoff from LaGuardia airport, veered left, losing power, sailed over the George Washington Bridge and landed in the Hudson River.

A miniature 9-11? No. The pilot made what amounted to a dead-stick landing in the water without tearing his plane apart and soon everyone aboard had been rescued by the covies of boats and helicopters that raced to the scene.

No diminishing the pilot’s skill. But there was another element, undiscoverable but salient, we might acknowledge. It will not require an incoming President to invade another country, or to cast blame. It was good fortune. We can hope, pray if you do, that this is a portent of those things to come under Barack Obama and that whatever we may do to make this so, will be done.