There was a student who dared to think differently and survey the situation for himself. He was on the deck, and he had a decision to make. He looked back to what he knew- the comfort of his room. And he looked ahead to the waves below. After all, the announcement had been made. Passengers were to stay still/ be in their rooms. He could be in denial of the hopelessness of the situation if he returned there. Blessed denial. He wouldn't have to confront his future. He could live out the rest of his final moments in "comfort."
But what is comfort? It is denial and delusion. It is ultimately a trap. A very watery, very deathly trap.
This young man decided to do something bold--disregard the announcement and take a plunge into the water. He chose life. I am sure being in the water had its scary moments, and maybe he even struggled to get to shore. But ultimately, he chose life and a future for himself.
When sin came into the world, the ship started sinking. And it is sinking so slowly that if we are not careful, we may not even notice. Voices tell us that we may or may not be sinking, but either way it is best to just stay put and do what is comfortable, what is familiar, what pleases us. And it is important to note that perspective is the whole key. If we don't see the ship as sinking, then it is absolutely ridiculous to plunge ourselves into the ocean. It appears nonsensical. But if we have the right perspective, it is the most sane and necessary choice we could make!
Like the young man, we are left with a choice. Do we embrace the trap of comfort? Or do we take the plunge into the unknown and surrender to God's plan? God has called us to better things. He has called us to LIVE.
We may get wet, and we may have to tread water. We may wish we were back on the ship at times. But God will not leave us alone in the water. He will rescue us from the waves. We will not drown. We will overcome. And we will live in the fullness to which we have been called.
[From the events of the South Korean ferry incident of April 15, 2014 and a sermon preached by Mark Boucher on April 18, 2014]
