Don't let others around you sink
Three football fields long - Three football fields long -- eleven stories tall -- ninety two feet wide -- she tipped the scales at 46,000 tons. She was the largest and most luxurious ship ever built. This ship fit for a king could carry nearly 3,000 passengers and crew. She had her own swimming pools, suites, restaurants, Turkish baths and squash courts, even a Parisian sidewalk cafe (complete with strolling musicians). With 16 watertight compartments below sea level, she was deemed unsinkable. But the Titanic was not unsinkable!
Tragically, only 700 of the 2,223 passengers on the Titanic survived. But what is even more tragic is the fact that a whole lot more could have been saved. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the Titanic disaster was not the fact that so many lives were lost; the greater tragedy may be that so few people were rescued who could have been. Of the 20 lifeboats lowered, only a couple were filled to capacity. Several were half full. A few had but a handful of passengers in them. After the ship broke in half and sank, hundreds of people floated in the open water in lifejackets near the 20 lifeboats. Only one of the 20 boats went back in search of other survivors. The rest of them (with plenty of room in their boats) remained at a distance, comforting one another, grateful to be alive. And all the while, hundreds of others died within their range of sight -- not by drowning, but by hypothermia.
Does that sad scene remind you at all of many Canadian churches today? We've been saved from eternal judgment. We sing the songs of the redeemed, grateful for salvation. But to a great degree, we are unmoved by the plight of those perishing around us. We have what they need. There is room in our boat. But we are preoccupied with what I call our survival celebrations. You know what I mean: activities that bind us together as the saved, sanctified, satisfied, and sheltered, safe from the world.
And yet, the Church remains the only institution that exists primarily for the needs of those who are not yet its members. This is no time to row away from a sinking ship. God calls us to turn around and row toward the lost, no matter what the risk.But how do we go about doing this?
Well, the first step simply requires us to take the situation of a lost world seriously. Do we really believe what the Bible says? Are people without assurance of God's forgiveness truly lost? For those who survived the Titanic, April 15, 1912 was a day they would never forget. Those who slipped beneath the placid sea into a watery grave slipped into eternity and the ultimate day of reckoning. As the band on deck played Nearer My God to Thee, those who survived that day contemplated just how near they had come to a date with death -- a date that would not be postponed indefinitely.
We all need to contemplate the inevitability of death. There is no escape. And simply being ready to meet the Lord is not enough. What is our responsibility to those who face the deadline of a flat line, who do not know that death need not be feared? We dare not disregard the reality that people are in peril across the street and around the world. We must take steps to reach them. Let us pray that the Lord will open our eyes and warm our hearts to the people He wants to love through us this week.
So, what are some practical things we can do to start sharing our faith with others? How about inviting that family which just moved in down the street over for pizza? How about that friend at work who just found out his mother has Alzheimer's disease? Sharing your faith can be as simple as sending a brief note of encouragement. For that agnostic husband who never comes with his wife to church, suggest that you go out to a first run movie some weekend as couples -- and, no, it doesn't have to be a Christian movie!
Sound too intimidating? It's really not. But here's an easy way to begin. Start by praying for a few people you know and their needs. Pray daily. Then, once a month find some tangible way to care for those on your list. Granted, it's hard work. Often, it is inconvenient. It can be messy. But it is thoroughly rewarding. The key is recognizing the urgency and taking that first step.
The Californian was only 12 miles away that night. They could see the emergency flares of the periled ship. But the telegraph officer had retired for the night. The officers and crew watching from the deck took no action. A Senate subcommittee which convened a few days after the Titanic disaster concluded this about the Californian in their summary judgment:
In our opinion such conduct, whether arising from indifference or gross carelessness, is most reprehensible. They failed to respond with the dictates of humanity, international usage, and requirements of law. Had assistance been promptly proffered, that ship might have had the proud distinction of rescuing the passengers and crew of the Titanic.
Wow! What an indictment. Because they failed to act, the only other ship aware of the Titanic's situation had to travel from a distance of 58 miles. The Carpathia couldn't reach the scene until it was too late. They were only able to save those already secured in one of the 20 lifeboats. We can't excuse ourselves with: "I'm too busy." "I'm not qualified." "Who am I to say they need Jesus?" To reach the lost, we need to allow the same fire to burn within us that burned within Jesus. We need to care enough to invest in the people around us.
* Richard Jackson is senior pastor at First Moncton United Baptist Church.
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