April 15, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Titanic Sinks

When the Titanic sank early in the morning on this day, April 15, 1912, John Harper was among the 1,522 people who died. The band went down with the ship. The last hymn they played was “Autumn,” which concludes with the prayer
Hold me up in mighty waters
Keep my eyes on things above,
Righteousness, divine Atonement,
Peace, and everlasting Love.

At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the British ocean liner Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada. The massive ship, which carried 2,200 passengers and crew, had struck an iceberg two and half hours before. On April 10, the RMS Titanic, one of the largest and most luxurious ocean liners ever built, departed Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The Titanic was designed by the Irish shipbuilder William Pirrie and built in Belfast, and was thought to be the world’s fastest ship. It spanned 883 feet from stern to bow, and its hull was divided into 16 compartments that were presumed to be watertight. Because four of these compartments could be flooded without causing a critical loss of buoyancy, the Titanic was considered unsinkable. While leaving port, the ship came within a couple of feet of the steamer New York but passed safely by, causing a general sigh of relief from the passengers massed on the Titanic‘s decks. On its first journey across the highly competitive Atlantic ferry route, the ship carried some 2,200 passengers and crew.

After stopping at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, to pick up some final passengers, the massive vessel set out at full speed for New York City. However, just before midnight on April 14, the RMS Titanic failed to divert its course from an iceberg and ruptured at least five of its hull compartments. These compartments filled with water and pulled down the bow of the ship. Because the Titanic‘s compartments were not capped at the top, water from the ruptured compartments filled each succeeding compartment, causing the bow to sink and the stern to be raised up to an almost vertical position above the water. Then the Titanic broke in half, and, at about 2:20 a.m. on April 15, stern and bow sank to the ocean floor.” (history.com website)

Hyperbole rules the day in our products and our politicians. We hear day after day “This is the greatest product EVER”, and “No one will cure the ills of our State, Country, or World like I WILL.” Hyperbolic statements – like “The UNSINKABLE SHIP” – seem to be words that must be taken with great suspicion in our day and age. We have been disappointed time and time again with the advertisers and the products and the people who claim to “have it all, know it all, do it all, and bring to us completeness”. There is only One for whom the words “Unsinkable” do apply – and that One is Jesus. They tried to sink him, kill him, destroy his teachings, and they failed miserably. The One who claims to love all people, and wants to redeem all people is the One who fulfills his claims. That is the One they killed on Good Friday – He is the One that is Raised on Easter Sunday – He is the “Unsinkable One” – Jesus Christ.

Please collect a tube of toothpaste for Trinity’s Table to bring on Easter Sunday morning.

Pastor Dave