Heroes

I don't know if others wrote of the obvious contrast in captains when the Carnival ship went down in January off the coast of Italy. When I read the reports of the captain abandoning ship to save his own cowardly neck, shirking his responsibility to thousands of passengers, I thought instantly of Captain Sullenberger. "Sully" was the pilot who brought the damaged US Airways plane down safely into the Hudson. Captain Sully didn't leave the plane until every last passenger was safely rescued and aboard the rescue ships. Not only did he know he was capable of these heroics from start to finish, he knew he had to perform that way. It was his duty. It was the right thing to do. He never considered any other course.

When the captain of the Carnival cruise liner was asked why he didn't stay with the ship, he said he tripped, and fell into a lifeboat. Later reports show that the Coast Guard ordered him to return to the ship, and he refused.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Sully was asked, "What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?"
He answered, "It’s not what happens to you, but what you do with it that defines your life."
Then he was asked, "What is your biggest regret?"
"Spending time on things that ultimately didn’t matter," he said.

If he wasn't already a hero in my eyes, those answers alone would elevate him to one. It is perhaps the best explanation of why bad things happen to good people. If only good things happen, we are never given an opportunity to understand that circumstances do not define us. Our response to circumstances does. And if we waste our time on meaningless activities, that could instead be spent learning how to respond in righteous, prepared, and heroic manners, in the end, we will have abandoned the most important ship of all- the vessel that carries our eternal soul. We are unlikely to be able to swim if we have never been in the water. Be prepared, and be righteous.

The Bible answers similar questions in a similar way. In Proverbs, Solomon tells us
"When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God." (Proverbs 14:32 NIV)
Zephaniah warns God's people that when trials arise:
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be sheltered
on the day of the Lord's anger. (Zephaniah 2:3 NIV)
Matthew reminds us of Jesus' words, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in:
"... do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25, 31-33 NIV)

I was struck by the Carnival Cruise ship captain's excuse....he tripped and fell into a lifeboat. I think that is a very common excuse for the cowards in the world, the selfish, and the lazy. It was beyond their control...so they simply fell into the easy and safest choice. Believe me, I am ashamed to admit I have fallen in this category at times myself. I am not proud of that.
"I would have helped but I just didn't have the time."
"I would have gotten an A but I have never been good at studying."
"I would read my Bible more, but you can't believe the stress I am under!"
"I would eat an apple, but the oreos were open anyway."
"I could have had that job, but I didn't really want it anyway."
"I would have treated her better, but she is such a witch!"
"I would call Mom more often but she is so annoying."
"I would have saved those passengers...but I tripped, and fell into the lifeboat."

Like the Captain, they perhaps believed it to be their lifeboat, when I suspect in the end, they would find it a place of death and decay.

Romans 2:8
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.


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