Titanic Options

Titanic Options

The Titanic story and movie have always fascinated me with all of its’ illustrations for life. From the, “not even God could sink this ship,” boasting that preceded its’ sinking to, “the band played on,” observation of the orchestra still diligently playing while the ship is sinking—the storyline is chock-full of lessons. One of them is the illustration by dispensationalist founder Darby and Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee to make an unfortunate, anti “salt and light" point—that there is no sense in, “polishing the brass on the Titanic,” (as they would both say) because it will sink anyway, and the assignment is to the “lifeboats” of getting people saved. This foundation of doctrine has, of course, been massively instrumental in the church being as fundamentally irrelevant as surveys show it to be today. You know—don’t be “salt and light” like Jesus commanded, because it is all going to rot and darkness will prevail anyway. And so the seven mountains of society became void of healing salt and functional light.

I believe we have another Titanic illustrative for us today that perhaps helps explain a bit of the tension, even among believers, as it relates to this time of unprecedented challenge related to the COVID19 storm. On the one hand, we have those becoming more and more aware of the sinister and shocking orchestrations of “the deep state,” and on the other hand, we have the “Jesus has got it” crowd that is just “above it all” and really just doesn’t want to hear about all these “conspiracy theories.” It brings to mind famed, German evangelical pastor and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was ultimately publicly hanged by the Nazis. Now in history he is viewed heroically. However, in his day he was the mouthy “conspiracy theorist,” widely unappreciated and bashed by the church. What was a pastor doing talking about these kinds of “political” matters instead of just keeping with his holy, spiritual call? Why all the excess warning of Hitler and the Nazi’s? Wasn’t Jesus bigger than all of this? Why doesn’t he just chill out with the need to "sound the alarm?" Perhaps some can see the similarities today?

The “deep state” of today is essentially made up of the remnants of that very Nazism. Those awake and alert have seen the proofs and evidence of this reality, and of so much more. Stuff you can’t unsee and stuff that keeps you awake at night. Stuff that makes you have to go a little deeper to still find the "bigger than it all" Jesus. Now, I agree, “seeing Jesus" has to be added to the awakening picture, but it absolutely knocks out all passivity to know horrific truths. Many of these are the Bonhoeffers of today, irritating the comfortable church that just wants to be left alone—to keep playing their “orchestra part.” "The band plays on" and is “smiling” and “at peace,” but those who have seen the hole in the hull have another urgency that drives them.

So we have some "Titanic options" before us today and they truly are Titanic, as in BIG. Option #1 is to play the part of the musicians, ignoring the danger of the moment, and opting for just putting out the same music as when all is well and as it seems. Option #2 is to recognize this is not just another normal day of challenges—it is a day of the unprecedented. The level of treachery and the high level of risk presently at play in our world is stunning enough that life can't go on as normal. God has to be called upon. Jesus as peace has to be found. But people have to be awakened to what is really going on--and there is an urgency to it. Historically, the “awakeners" have rarely been appreciated by the masses until after the fact—because awakening people is rarely done with a smile and with a hug. I am not justifying rudeness, bitterness, anger or the like—but when a ship will sink unless something big changes, when a nation will reap devastation unless the people wake up (Bonhoeffer’s assignment), it is most definitely not time for church as usual or Christianity as usual.

That is where we find ourselves today. If God had not placed President Trump in the position that He did we would be looking at our own Titanic endings—we would be looking at Hitler endings. God did not honor “the band playing on” on the Titanic and save them for "remaining faithful." God did not honor the German church for staying “true” to who they were and letting God handle Hitler. Today, whatever smugness you have that “God's got this” is derived from your smugness—it is ill-conceived. God DOES have this, but His instruments are men like Donald J. Trump and a bunch of military patriots and brave citizen journalists and such who refused the smugness—and risked EVERYTHING to be part of God’s rescue plan. It is God who stirred them up and it is God who will help them succeed, but don’t for a moment believe God is rewarding yours or anyone's sleep or smugness and honoring it as faith. There is an army of thousands upon thousands of awake, diligent, praying people whose way of showing love is trying to awaken “the band”—even while being ridiculed by the band. I agree we are all being tested and it is not at all easy, but don’t be on the wrong side of a Titanic option in this unique time of history.