The world was unaware. No one heard or noticed the frightening and deafening ‘crack’ as the iceberg separated from its location in Northern Labrador. The world continued on its path, undisturbed and unaware that two profound and divergent systems were about to impact the world with a 10 second intersection.
Well into its maiden voyage 1500 people were blissfully partying, totally unaware that their lives would be taken that night of April 14/1912, in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. With a goal to arrive in New York a day early, Captain Smith, followed the direction of his hierarchy to proceed at full speed. The Titanic, having received and ignored 6 Wireless warnings, was over an hour into the ice field.
In his book Unsinkable, Daniel Butler illustrates, “No other disaster in history could have been more easily avoided or was more inevitable, and it is this apparent contradiction that runs through the entire story. A chain of events and decisions that began years before the Titanic was even built, and ending only seconds before she struck the iceberg, led to that deadly convergence of the twain. And had any one of them been altered, the whole disaster, or at least the appalling loss of life, might have been averted. Nevertheless, each event, each decision relentlessly led to the next until the ship lay at the bottom of the ocean and had taken fifteen hundred lives with it.”
I have the awesome privilege of working with churches. Yet, that privilege carries an awesome and equally frightening realization that many of our churches are heading toward disaster. The Titanic, its owners, builders, employees and travelling public were so convinced that it was unsinkable that they ignored any and all advice. Some of our churches are like that. When a church leader tells me, “they have always done it this way and they will not change a thing”, they are headed for a disaster.
Paul put it this way in Galatians 6:7 (NASB) “Do not be deceived, God is not marked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap”.
Leadership is prayerfully examining our lives, systems and methods to be sure that God will be glorified.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Leadership Coach
Jethro Group
ldkjethrogroup@gmail.com