For this blog I am forced to admit that I not only watched the epic movie Titanic, but also (now opening myself up to endless critics) found it mildly entertaining.  I could say I enjoyed it, but I won’t press this any further.  After all, it’s clearly a chick movie.  I’ll keep a protective distance.  On the other hand, to outright condemn this modern portrayal of such a tragic event seems in itself somewhat deplorable.  So…I saw the movie…it piqued my interest in the real event.  Case closed.

I needed to tell you that because it is the reason I recently found myself glued to a documentary concerning the sinking of the Titanic.  I’ve never been to the ship in Branson, but now I just might spend a few bucks the next time I’m through.  The history (forgive me if you are way ahead of me on Titanic trivia) of this tragedy is amazingly troubling.  The bottom line is that the crash with the iceberg and subsequent deaths of 1522 people could have been avoided.  Ok…you knew that.

What you don’t know is that all it would have taken was ONE good decision among AT LEAST a dozen bad ones, and for all we know the ship would still literally be unsinkable!  The documentary laid out a compelling case:  rivets that were of low quality; lifeboats that were cut from the ship for aesthetic reasons; a decision to lower the bulkheads to make room for the grand staircase (what?); messages of warning that never made it to the captain; the ships radio that was used for wealthy patrons instead of emergency services; unusual ocean currents for that year; and even the decision to attempt to avoid the iceberg (It’s true!  The Titanic would have been better off to hit the iceberg head on!).  If any one of these dumb decisions is reversed, everyone lives.

So let me tell you about the events that really caught my attention.  It seems that the Titanic had a sister ship that was disabled at the time of the Titanic launch.  Because of this, the officers of the sister ship were combined with the staff of the Titanic.  This, of course, led to more officers than positions, and those at the bottom of the pecking order were relieved of their duty.  One such officer was slated to be a lookout at the front of the boat.  When he was fired, he packed his things in a trunk and hastily left the ship.  (Well, wouldn’t you?)  What no one knew until it was too late was that inside his trunk, that was now off the ship, was a key to the only locker on board that contained binoculars.  Binoculars, by the way, are a handy thing to have if you want to see things like, well…icebergs.

You can guess the rest.  No binoculars for the lookout means not being able to see the iceberg in time to avoid it, which leads to one of the greatest tragedies ever.  In official documents recording the hearings which took place a week after the accident, the un-spectacled lookout (who survived!) said with full assurance, “if I had been able to use binoculars, there’s no doubt I would have seen the iceberg in time.”

Yes, if only.  I think we are in the same position as this lowly lookout.  We attempt to navigate the course of life with nothing but our own two peepers.  And it usually leads to disaster.  But unlike the Titanic staff, we do have what we need.  God has freely given us tools to be able to see clearly.  He’s given us directions that will guide us away from trouble.  Our very lives depend upon using what he has provided.  God has binoculars for you.  It’s up to you to use them…and live.

“The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be filled with darkness.  If then, the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”  -Matthew 6:22-23