Titanic Tragedy Radios Life Messages To Us Today

 Titanic tragedy radios life messages to us today

“Oh, they built the ship Titanic,   

to sail the ocean blue

And they thought they built a ship

that the water couldn’t go through.

But the good Lord raised his hand,

said the ship would never land.

It was sad when the great
ship went down.”

Or so the version went that we sang at Camp Wise, in Chardon, Ohio, in the 1970s, a song that had been sung at summer camps for the previous 50 years, is sung still, and might very well be sung forever.

Exactly 100 years this Sunday, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, taking the lives of 1,500 passengers. With a weekend sure to be dedicated to its memory, the question is: why? Why this shipwreck? What about it so resonates in the public’s mind? The Lusitania, torpedoed in 1915, took 1,198 lives and is a trivia question. Nobody sings about it.

The obvious answer is that the Titanic story has something for everybody. There is luxury and poverty, heroism and cowardice, its midnight iceberg rendezvous a payback for the boast of being “unsinkable.” Movies and books keep the memory alive, as does its presence in the language — almost everybody knows what rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic means.

As the son of a radio operator, who grew up listening to the urgent chirpings of Morse code coming out of the Hammarlund Super Pro radio receiver displayed in his den, the part of the Titanic story that always gets to me is the heroic tale of the Marconi operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride.

As the junior radioman — he was just 22 — Bride had the night shift. It was just after midnight, April 15, 1912, and he was telling Phillips to go to bed, when the captain stuck his head into the wireless room.

“We’ve struck an iceberg,” Captain Edward Smith said. “You better get ready to send out a call for assistance.”

Ten minutes later Smith was back, telling them to start calling for help.

Phillips began tapping out “CQD” ­— “CQ” meant “calling all stations” and “D” meant “distress” — as well as the ship’s location and call letters, “MGY.”

“He flashed away at it and we joked while he did so,” Bride recalled. “All of us made light of the disaster.”

Bride told Phillips that here was his opportunity to send an “SOS.”

“It’s the new call and it may be your last chance to send it,” Bride said. “We picked up first the steamship Frankfurt. We gave her our position and said we had struck an iceberg and needed assistance.”

Phillips reached the Cunard liner Carpathia. “Come at once!” he signaled. The liner replied it was 58 miles away and “coming hard.” Phillips told Bride to tell the captain. “I went through an awful mass of people to his cabin,” he later said. “The decks were full of scrambling men and women.”

Over the next two hours, as the ship slowly sank, Phillips kept sending out distress signals, hoping to find a closer ship ­— there was one, but its radio operator had gone to sleep. Bride kept tabs on what was going on outside.

“I went out on deck and looked around. The water was pretty close up to the boat deck. There was a great scramble aft, and how poor Phillips worked through it, I don’t know,” Bride later recalled.

Phillips suggested “with a sort of a laugh” that Bride look out and see if all the people were off in the boats, or if any boats were left. Bride found one collapsible boat left, only because the men were having an “awful time” trying to get it free. Captain Smith returned to the radio shack one last time.

“Men,” the captain said. “You have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin. Now it’s every man for himself.”

“I looked out,” Bride said. “The boat deck was awash. Phillips clung on sending and sending. He clung on for about 10 minutes, or maybe 15 minutes after the captain had released him. The water was then coming into our cabin. He was a brave man. I learned to love him that night and I suddenly felt for him a great reverence to see him standing there sticking to his work while everybody else was raging about.”

Bride returned to the collapsible boat, and was holding onto it when a wave crested over the deck and washed it away. He turned for one last look at the ship, “smoke and sparks were rushing out of her funnel.” Bride lost hold on that boat and had to swim through the icy water to the other boats, as the band played “Autumn” on deck. Hands pulled him into another lifeboat. Phillips perished.

For me, the Titanic radio operator story is a metaphor for life. It signals to us something about duty and perseverance in the face of difficulty. You’re not the captain. You didn’t design the ship. You don’t own it. But you stay at your station, no matter what, tapping out your messages with all the skill you have, as long as you can, until relieved.

Merry Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

we celebrate Jesus.

not because it’s a holiday.

we celebrate him because he is God.

and because his love for us is immeasurable

and unfathomable.

redemption is the ultimate picture of that love—

Jesus chose to die so that we might live with him forever.

and not in this forever.

but a forever in a world without pain, loneliness, hunger, death, and tears.

this Christmas, our hope and prayer is that we all might fall on our knees

and experience Jesus as our redeemer

as our Immanuel

and know his goodness

and perfect love.



Amidst the busyness surrounding the Christmas season may you find space to breathe and be still. The ultimate “present” is His presence, and our gift to you is this devotion “In the Grip of Silence” and simple reminder of what matters most.

Christmas Eve

What is the true spirit of Christmas? A young soldier once shared a very special gift with his fellow soldiers on Christmas Eve.

John 1:14  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

God, my Father,
May I love You in all things and above all things.
May I reach the joy which You have prepared for me in
Heaven.
Nothing is good that is against Your Will,
and all that is good comes from Your Hand.
Place in my heart a desire to please You
and fill my mind with thoughts of Your Love,
so that I may grow in Your Wisdom and enjoy Your Peace.

Joy

Psalm 16:11“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

O God of marvel and mystery, make me joyous!
Bless me with the healing and forgiving power of laughter.
Help me to delight in life’s wonderment and surprises.
Preserve me from sanctimonious solemnity and morose morality,
and deliver me from the vanity of regrets.
Remove from me the perverse tendency
to make mountains out of molehills of my life.
Help me to regard the duck’s waddle,
the monkey’s antics
and my own foibles with the same sense of
humor.

Remind me that I am important,
not for what I do but for what I am –
your child, created in your image.
Help me to realize
that it is your love that gives meaning to my existence,

and that joy and laughter and singing
are echoes to that tremendous love.
Let me not forget to be joyful!
Let me not be too hurried to be cheerful.
Let me not be too busy to smile.
I ask these things, my Lord and my God, so that
someday I may join with all the mirthful saints
and singing angels
in praising you eternally.

Peace

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Slow us down, O Lord, this Advent,
So we may understand the darkness we are in,
The darkness of fear that comes with wanting more,
And the fear of having less.
Grant us the light of transformation,
As we wait for your true abundance
The love of the Incarnation,
A love that brings us true dignity and security,
A love that embraces all, that enriches all,
That calls us all to share justly and celebrate joyfully.

Hope

Hebrews 6:19-20 “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

In this time of darkness,
We choose to look toward the Light.
In this time when so many are suffering,
We choose faith, not despair,
We choose the work of compassionate justice.
As we move together,
Hungry for transformation, for hope,
Our steps themselves
Transform us, nourish us.
We are on constant pilgrimage,
Moving to the heart of things,
Reaching beyond what any one of us
Can accomplish ourselves.
The brightness of the Incarnation
Guides us as we continue,
With the promise of the Prince of Peace
As the bright star in these dark nights.

Have the Boldness of Lions!

1 Chronicles 12:8 “From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

As we continue our study of the men who followed David, let's look at their boldness — the boldness of lions! We also need this boldness in the face of the enemy who is "like a lion", himself….a roaring lion. While it is true that the devil received a fatal wound at Calvary, he is still roaming, dangerous, and seeking whom he may devour. We need to stand bold as a lion against him, for we have the "lion of Judah" [Revelation 5:5] as our Captain, ready to defend us. And greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

David's mighty men were gifted and fearless warriors. They also had a powerful and courageous leader whose righteousness, faith, and humility, were a great inspiration. A strong, courageous and righteous leader will bring out the best in his followers. David's men of valor were bold as lions and swift as gazelles.

But our Captain, Jesus, is the most courageous, humble, and righteous leader who ever existed, and his power is ultimate. He has given us to partake of these qualities, and when we do, we can walk in authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and triumph over all the power of the enemy.

The mighty men of David present a great example for us in our spiritual warfare. They must have been fearsome to the enemies of Israel. Following Jesus closely, we also will cause the enemies of God to tremble and flee. Bold in Him, we will be invincible — bold as lions and swift as gazelles!

You're at War?

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

We are already at war spiritually. Constantly contending in our minds, we battle over thoughts and emotions which flow through them. The enemy often attacks by bringing up issues from our past. Failures, regrets, wounds, and traumas all have the potential to drag us down into doubt, darkness and despair. Our tremendous challenge is not to respond to these memories with old destructive thought patterns. Our victory lies in responding to these thoughts and feelings.

While we don't necessarily ignore thoughts and feelings from the past, it is vital that we don't allow them to control our souls and emotions, but that we take them captive through prayers and declarations inspired by our spiritual mind.

The battle over past issues is won we  takes authority over their meaning, purpose and definition in our lives with Jesus on the throne of our hearts and minds, everything in our past is brought under His authority and works together for our good!

A Bit Of Faith Goes A Long Way

Do you ever think along the lines of “If I could just get that new job I would be able to buy a better house, car or whatever?”

This is human nature. There is nothing wrong with having ambitions to better ourselves.

Matthew 9:22 “Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.”

This woman knew what her “If I could only…” was. It was if she could only touch the cloak of Jesus she would be healed. Nothing fancy. Nothing grand. Just a knowledge that faith in Jesus Christ would make her well again.

Do you have a “If I could only…” in relation to Christ? Mine is “If I could only study the Bible better and more indepth then I would be in a better place to teach others so that God’s Kingdom would be furthered.

If you have not considered this then take a few moments to think how your service or worship would be better “if only I….”

Do You Believe?

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? 

Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. 

When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy. 

 It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seems him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil forever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, 

 Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. 

When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favor with him.

Sunrise

John 12:46 "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness."

This world is dark as midnight; Jesus has come that by faith we may have light and may no longer sit in the gloom which covers all the rest of mankind.

"Whoever" is a very wide term: it means you and me. If we trust in Jesus we shall no more sit in the dark shadow of death but shall enter into the warm light of a day which shall never end. Why do we not come out into the light at once?

A cloud may sometimes hover over us, but we shall not abide in darkness if we believe in Jesus. He has come to give us broad daylight. Shall He come in vain.' If we have faith we have the privilege of sunlight: let us enjoy it. From the night of natural depravity, of ignorance, of doubt, of despair, of sin, of dread, Jesus has come to set us free; and all believers shall know that He no more comes in vain than the sun rises and fails to scatter his heat and light.

Shake off your depression. Abide not in the dark, but abide in the light. In Jesus is your hope, your joy, Your heaven, Look to Him, to Him only, and you will rejoice as the birds rejoice at sunrise and as the angels rejoice before the throne.