Reflections on the Costa Concordia Debacle

Reflections on the Costa Concordia debacle

            Recently, the Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, struck a reef off the coast of the island of Giglio. Passengers were enjoying their evening meal when there was a sudden, loud bang, supposedly from an “electrical failure.” The guests were told that everything was under control and they need not panic. According to a survivor, the boat began to shake, with dishes crashing to the floor, people running and falling down the stairs. Suddenly, the ship tilted to the port side, which consequently hindered access to life boats.

             The Captain, Francesco Schettino, has been cited for abandoning the sinking ship, and the death of at least 11 passengers. Claiming that he accidentally “fell” into a lifeboat, he left the stricken vessel early on and refused to obey coast guard orders to return. Prosecutors said he rammed the vessel into submerged rocks by making a risky maneuver; he sounded the alarm too late, and secretly took off, leaving hundreds of passengers still trapped on board.

            “It’s a matter of honor that the master is the last to leave. Nothing less will do in this profession,” said Jorgen Loren, a Swedish Maritime Officer. Possibly this cowardly act was a cover up for his irresponsible conduct on the bridge. Some suggested that he was in shock or on drugs.

            Interestingly, the Titanic sank 100 years ago, with striking similarities. Both vessels were considered unsinkable. Schettino, like the Titanic’s Captain Smith, placed his faith in “bigness.” “Today everything is safer than it was in the past and we are better prepared,” he said. In the same vein, Captain Smith told a reporter in 1907, “Shipbuilding is such a perfect art nowadays, that absolute disaster…is inconceivable.” These grandiose claims were soon shattered!

            In both instances, the captains failed to heed warnings of impending danger. The Titanic bridge had 6 wireless warnings from other ships regarding potential ice berg sightings; that didn’t stop Smith from continuing at top speed, until the lethal collision with the ice occurred. Schettino simply jockeyed the vessel by sight, disregarding the computer setting, then striking the reef. The egotism of these two irresponsible sea masters is disturbing.

            Sea stories grant an opportunity to study and learn from human nature. The recent fiasco near Italy must have been horrendous for those struggling to survive a dark, watery grave. One can only imagine the screams of terror, hostility, and utter hopelessness!

            Who would have ever anticipated that a calm cruise on a luxurious liner would end in disaster? Whatever the problem, they were told that everything was under control---or was it? Assuredly, an experienced skipper was in charge, what could possibly go wrong?

            Furthermore, whatever apprehension gripped the passengers had to be quelled by the ship’s reputed invincibility. The Titanic may have sunk, but not this “big, perfected” craft.  Well, that was not the case! There were no guarantees of peace and safety, just hopes and wishes. No one anticipated the outcome. But is this not the way life is to all of us?

            I’m reminded of an episode with Christ and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 4:36f.) While sailing to Gadara, a tremendous wind storm arose; the waves beat furiously on the ship, filling it with water until it began sinking. In the midst of this trauma, Jesus was asleep, which could only intensify their fear. After all, He was the Captain of the ship! With that, they awakened Him, saying, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”

            Unlike any ship Captain in history, he got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace be still.” Guess what? The wind ceased, and “there was a great calm.” The frightened seamen were now overwhelmed by this miraculous feat, saying to one another, “What manner (kind) of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

            There are no guarantees in this life. No unsinkable ships and no predictable events. Like the wind, things can change so quickly. Therefore, we must have an anchor for our souls, and One who can not only deliver us from sin’s turbulent sea, but supply the “peace of God that passes all understanding.” Dear reader, do you have that kind of Savior?

            The story is told of a young lad who was cruising across the Atlantic, thoroughly enjoying the trip. On route a severe storm arose, with gigantic waves tossing the vessel to and fro. While passengers scurried to find their life jackets, the young boy sat serenely with a gleeful expression. Folks around him were amazed at his calmness; someone finally asked him the reason for his seeming indifference, to which he replied, “My father is the Pilot of this ship, and he has always made it safely to shore.”

            It does make a difference who controls the “ship.” True believer’s in Christ have boarded this “Ol’ Ship of Zion,” which is destined to port safely one day in Heaven, despite the crashing waves of daily tribulation. This world is “shipwrecked,” and headed for eternal destruction. It’s time, dear friend, to enter the Ark of Safety, trusting the Master of the Sea.           
            Edward Hopper (1818-1888) captures the heart-cry of weary souls:

 “Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life's tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee:
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

 As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will
When Thou say'st to them, "Be still!"
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”