Image: Subsplash
A cautionary and fictional tale…
Imagine a Navy submarine that is run aground causing the boat to be scuttled and the crew to abandon ship. Many sailors survived the traumatic event, some did not. The incident was caused by human error. Someone failed in their duties. Can a submarine captain stand before the naval board of inquiry and tell them, “We are only human”? Absolutely not. The team is trained. They have been instructed in the performance of their duties. Each team member is under direct orders to categorically obey certain directives. There are safety measures, inspections, and checks and balances in place. Simple human error does not wreck an entire boat full of sailors or risk the lives of everyone on board. It takes more than a single mistake to sink a submarine.
Imagine, again, those crew members flailing in the water who were forced to abandon ship , desperately trying to reach safety. Other Navy boats are in the same waters. They saw the sub sink. They hear the cries of the sailors in the water. A few of the boats sail by without rendering aid because they have a mission to complete and don’t want to be interrupted.
The sailors in the water are doing everything possible to keep their heads above water. From one boat, they hear someone shout, “Forgive the captain!”. From another boat, a voice cries out, “If you quit and drown, you’re not a very good sailor!”. Another voice shouts, “Don’t be mad at the Navy or the President!”.
The sailors near death in the water are not angry with the Navy, the secretary of the Navy, or the Commander in Chief. They are angry with the ones who sank the submarine. They don’t want to quit the Navy. But they do need some assurances that the command of the next duty station is competent and trustworthy. They want to know why sailors in the water aren’t important enough to other ship captains in the Navy to be rendered aid. When a submarine is sunk, why is that captain given another command without so much as a formal review?
Dear Church,
There are spiritual ships sinking on our watch. There are faith communities of Jesus followers that have shipwrecked and children of God are struggling to survive in the faith.
Do something besides yelling at people who are drowning. Send out the lifeboats. Render aid. Hold the failed captain and his staff to review and accountability. The people in the water may not be from your ship, but they belong to Christ. They are as much a part of your mission as those who have never known Christ.
Do something!
”This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16
Copyright @ TA Boland 2023
Kommentare