The Sunday Sermonette: Messages Ignored.

At 2:18 on the morning of April 15, 1912, the lights on board RMS Titanic flickered and went out forever, plunging her luxurious interiors into darkness, along with over 1500 passengers, all clamoring for a spot on her rising stern. The screams of those aboard echoed through the inky blackness of the starry nighttime sky. Her richly carved walnut and mahogany paneling creaked and split. Portions of the Grand Staircase floated upward, crashing through the stained-glass dome above. As she split in half, the screeching, grating sound of breaking steel pierced the frigid night air.

And why? Somewhere in the darkness on that doomed liner were six messages, hastily written on official Marconi stationery, warning of ice and huge icebergs in the Titanic’s path. Five of the messages were basically ignored. A sixth never reached the Bridge. Six simple pieces of ignored paper doomed the largest, grandest ship in the world to a watery grave, taking with her a multitude of passengers who did not deserve to die in icy agony.

How often in life do we do the same thing, disregarding the messages of family and friends warning us, out of love, about treacherous “icebergs” ahead.? How often do we ignore God’s warnings sent to us via the Bible or the Holy Spirit? In my own life, I’ve seen the consequences of ignoring warnings about “ice” ahead. The after-effects were painful, they hurt, but I learned from my mistakes. Have you?

Ponder this and go forth.