MY WIFE and I returned home just in time to watch South Africa beat France in the World Cup. The next day I took a friend to lunch at a beach front restaurant and we were caught up in the excitement of hundreds of England supporters. I must say I am enjoying the vibe.

I can name a number of soccer players who have impressed me over the years and I do know that it is the training they have imbibed during much practice that enables them to be brilliant on the field. It is true in any field. whether we want to play a musical instrument, give a lecture or fix a motor car. Effectiveness does not come by accident.

Tom Wright in his book, Virtue Reborn, reminds us that January 15, 2009 was another ordinary day in New York City but by night-fall hundreds of people all over the world were talking about a miracle. Let me remind you of what happened. Flight 1549, a regular US Airways trip from La Guardia Airport took off at 15:26 local time, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina. The captain, Chesley Sullenberger, did all the usual checks. Everything was fine until two minutes after take off, the aircraft ran straight into a flock of Canadian geese. Both engines were severely damaged and lost their power. The plane was at that point heading north over the Bronx, one of the most densely populated parts of the city.

Captain Sullenberger and his co-pilot had to make several decisions instantly if they were going to save the lives of the people, not only on board, but also on the ground. They were left with one option: put the plane down in the Hudson river. It’s difficult to crash land on water: one small mistake – catch the nose or one of the wings in the river – and the plane would turn over before breaking up and sinking. In the two or three minutes they had before landing they had to do a number of things by instinct. It was drilled into them and they did it. Everyone got off safely with the Captain himself walking up and down the aisle checking that everyone had escaped before joining the others in a life raft.

Was it a miracle as many people believed? I have no desire to deny the possibility of the miraculous in any situation but, as I wrote above, like any person who is excellent in what they do, the captain and the co-pilot did what they did because of many years of training and experience. They did the right thing instinctively.

The question I want to ask is this: Is it possible for a human being to develop the sort of character that enables that person to do the right thing without having to think about it? This is a question to which we will return.

George Irvine directs the Institute for Spirituality.