I really enjoyed watching Battlestar Galactica Season 2.0 on DVD this week. The shows is really well done. It is brilliantly writing and acted, and has a lot of suspense and action. (If you haven’t seen this show yet, there are spoilers ahead.)

Science fiction is great for shining a light on real life situations that we face every day. Now a dark series about war with sentient robotic lifeforms might not seem like it could shine a light on any important issues, but it does. The show is smart.

One scene in particular has really stuck with me this past week. I think we can all learn something from it.

The chief mechanic is working on one of the fighter ships. He puts on a sticker on it that it is “unserviceable scrap.” A captain comes up to him and tells him how important it is that the ship be fixed soon. The key context here is that they are running out of supplies and everyone is weary and tired of their situation in space.

Captain: “Damn it. I need that ship online.”

Chief: “What can I tell ya captain. Engine mounts are shot, cockpit seals are cracked. If it were a horse, I’d shoot it.

Captain: “Chief, come on, work with me here. I need your help.”

Chief: “What’d ya want me to do? Work my crew to death?”

Captain: “No, just do you’re best. Nobody’s expecting any miracles here.”

Chief “Maybe that’s the problem.”

The chief then gets the idea to build a new fighter on his off-duty time. His crew thinks he’s crazy and doesn’t support him at first. He goes ahead and does it anyway, all by himself. He’s overworked, his crew is overworked but the project becomes something that energizes the crew. They come together and get it done.

This is inspirational to me. It makes me think that we can all accomplish great things. This chief went above and beyond the call of duty. He did something that wasn’t expected but that was truly needed and useful. I think if we examine our lives, we can do the same thing at home, at the workplace, or in the community. I’ve already got a few ideas kicking around in my head. Maybe we can all create little miracles.