I spent the weekend of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in a global missions conference in California. I couldn’t help but notice the glaring similarities between the Titanic and our lost world.
Having never encountered a storm at sea the Titanic has become one of the most famous ships in history. Stories concerning this passenger liner have been told time after time throughout the past one hundred years yet it remains fascinating. Although the builders never officially acclaimed this massive triumph over other forces of nature to be unsinkable, it was certainly widely speculated to be so.
After the iceberg disappeared the ship remained afloat for over two hours. At first it was believed the boat was only slightly damaged rather than doomed. The parties on the ship continued as if nothing was going on; no imminent danger was in sight. Isn’t that like our world? They are having a big party never noticing that Jesus is coming soon.
One thing that amazes me is the lifeboats on board. They would have serviced barely one-third of the passengers and crew. It was understood that a ship having all the safety features of the Titanic would sink so slowly that there would be lots of time to spare. Each AIMer and missionary is a lifeboat destined to rescue lost humanity. I fear, at times, that we simply don’t have enough lifeboats on hand. However, God continues to bless and use all that make themselves available. If the Titanic had enough lifeboats all could have been saved since it took 2.5 hours to sink. Thank God you have stepped forth to be involved in global missions providing a lifeboat in your area of the world.
Only two lifeboats rescued others after being launched. I trust the church will never have the same testimony. We’ve been rescued—to rescue others. We cannot be at ease on the lifeboat. There is much work to be done.
The first lifeboats leaving the ship were far from full. J. B. Thayer, a survivor said, “Partly filled lifeboat about 100 yards away never came back….How could any human being fail to heed those cries.” I wonder at that myself. With over seven billion people in our world we need to salvage as many as possible as quickly as possible.
People from all walks of life boarded the Titanic in April 1912. There were millionaires, celebrities, middle income earners, and even poor people. A few hours after the disaster, there were only two categories: lost and saved. In the end, it all comes down to that: lost or found. Those are a few tiny, timeless thoughts on the Titanic.
James Poitras 