Get Back on Board!

Shock riveted the world as newscasters flashed photographs of the sinking Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia on January 13, 2012. Images reminiscent of scenes from the Titanic appeared before our eyes, but this time it wasn’t the Titanic. It was friends and neighbors throughout the world who were running, screaming, and searching for loved ones after the ship hit a reef and ran aground at Isola del Giglio, Tuscany. The captain of the ship, Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest for abandoning his ship and not assisting in the evacuation of the ship’s passengers, as well as for other charges. Why did this tragedy occur in which at least 16 people died, 64 others were injured, and at least 16 are missing?

>The captain deviated from the ship’s computer-programmed route.

>He turned off the alarm system for the ship’s computer navigation system.

>He admitted “navigating by sight” because he wanted to treat people on Giglio Island to the spectacle of a close sail-past. Yet, in the end he claims, “I don’t know what happened.”                       As I’ve pondered the Captain’s negligence and have listened to recordings of the Coast Guard ordering Schettino back on the ship to assist in the passenger evacuation, I’ve thought of God and the believer’s relationship. I’ve wondered if we ever act like the Captain in the following ways.

The Captain Deviated from the Ship’s Computer-Programmed Route

God has given believers a “route” by which we are to live. We are not free to do what we want at whim as we travel the waters of life. Rather, as captain of our vessels: our bodies, minds, and spirits, we are to follow the route given us by the One who has set the navigation paths. When and if we deviate from the God’s ways, we put not only ourselves in harm’s way, but also others. The Bible tells us the route to take. We are not to deviate from it. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death,” Proverbs 14:9.

He Turned off the Alarm System for the Computer’s Navigation System

Have you ever decided to ignore what you know is right and you’ve done what you felt like instead? You said the harsh words. You had the affair. You lashed out. You took what wasn’t yours. You “paid back” someone for something they did to you. You chose to not forgive. You acted in pride. You ignored the warning of the Holy Spirit to exercise self control and do the right thing. That’s what Captain Schettino did. He turned off the alarm to the computer’s navigation system so that he could do what he wanted to do and on top of that, no one would be alerted. He could proceed without his course of action being stopped. The Holy Spirit is our alarm. God’s Spirit will assuredly “sound” in our minds, hearts, and spirits if we’re studying God’s Word, if we’re surrounded by mature believers, and are hearing the Bible preached. He will alert us, “Don’t say that!” “Don’t go there.” “Don’t do that.” But if we purpose in our hearts to do a behavior or speak a word or even think a thought that we know God won’t like, and we close our Bibles and ears to the truth; we in effect, turn off the alarm as Schettino did. We may even go so far as to think as he pridefully assumed, “I’ve gotten away with this before, I can do it again.” We fail to consider that we may hit a reef of sin and many will be hurt. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption,” Ephesians 4:30.  

He Navigated by Sight

Schettino admitted that he was “navigating by sight” because he wanted to treat people on Giglio Island to the spectacle of a close sail-past. Both pride and arrogance are reflected in his statement. He presumed he could navigate by himself, without the navigation system. In like manner, when you and I choose to walk by our natural abilities, mind, spirit, and flesh, we are at the height of presumption. Jesus made it clear that when He returned to heaven that He was going to send a helper: the Holy Spirit; in effect, His very presence. (John 1416-17) Paul further explains that we are to “walk” and “live” by the Helper, the Holy Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit, Galatians 5:25. Rather than “turn Him off” and pridefully navigate through life on our own and by our sight, we’re to take advantage of this wonderful gift of having the eyes of the Lord guiding us through our day, week, and year. If we walk by sight, by just what our fleshly eyes can see, we may be considered in God’s eyes as we think of Schettino for turning off his navigation system. Christians have another set of eyes and power by which to navigate: God. We’re to learn what it means to walk by faith; to walk by the Spirit; to live by the Spirit.  

He Jumped Ship Disregarding those Still Onboard

There’s a final act of Schettino worthy of our consideration. His ship had been entrusted to him. He was the captain of it and responsible for it. In like manner, our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits are an entrustment from God. 2 Timothy 2:21 tells us, “If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” We are captains of our vessels on a daily, moment by moment basis. We are responsible for what we think, say, and do. Our bodies can be vessels of honor, set apart, and prepared for good works God has for us to do. Or, we can wreck our bodies through poor lifestyle choices. We can poison our minds with impure thoughts. We can damage our emotions. We can drive our spirits into reefs of sin where we end up not being of further use to God. Of course, our vessels will wear with age and slowly go out of commission. But shouldn’t we be mindful of how well we are acting as Captain of our vessel God’s given us?

Get Back on Board!

The Coast Guard ordered Schettino to get back on board; to do the right thing. Could it be that God is calling us to do the same; to “get back on board” with our minds being conformed to Christ’s mind, our bodies being vessels of honor, our spirits being filled with God’s Spirit, and our emotions reflecting the fruit of God’s Spiritl? Gal 5:22-23

I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll pull my vessel into harbor and let God do a thorough inspection on me. I think I’ll make a point each morning to open my Bible and turn on the navigation computers and alarms. What about you?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our Navigation System, Computer, Alarm, and Coast Guard all wrapped into one. Help us pay attention to Your routes and Your orders so that we might be vessels of honor, guided through this life by you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.