16 4JSUS
“Invisible”
On April 14, 1912 one of the largest maritime disasters in the world took place. Most people know about the sinking of the Titanic. Many were introduced to it by Leo and Kate long before they ever read it in a history book. It is very easy to get caught up in the drama of the movie, however much of the details in the movie were correct. The Titanic was deemed unsinkable by its designers and constructors because of its 16 watertight compartments. It was the largest passenger steamship in the world and had the capacity to accommodate 3,587 persons. On its’ maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, it was carrying 2220 persons including its crew. On the night of April 14, 1912 it hit an ice berg about 95 miles south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. In less than two hours this magnificent (unsinkable) ship was sunk and the Atlantic Ocean was laden with terrified families. The ship had a total lifeboat capacity of 1,178, well short of the 2220 on board. The first class was loaded on the life boats first while the children and women of the other two classes waited to be placed in the lifeboats. Many of the lifeboats were not filled to their capacities leaving many to try to hold on to anything they thought would float. Only two of the 18 lifeboats launched rescued people after the ship sank. Lifeboat 4 was close by and picked up five people, two of whom later died.
Close to an hour later, Lifeboat 14 went back and rescued four people, one of whom died afterwards. Other people managed to climb onto the lifeboats that floated off the deck. There were arguments in some of the other lifeboats about going back, but many survivors were afraid of being swamped by people trying to climb into the lifeboat or being pulled down by the suction from the sinking Titanic, though it turned out that there had been very little suction. As it turned out, of the 18 launched lifeboats most of them were only half-full. There were people all around them screaming for help and yet their fears kept them from saving even freezing newborns.
That night, 1513 men, women and children died in the frigid Atlantic waters. As I documented earlier, there were not enough lifeboats to save everyone. However, what would have happened if while being loaded into the lifeboats each one would have been filled to capacity? What would have happen if the survivors would have searched for the dieing? How did so many desperate people become so invisible?
Just a few days ago, I was told of a 13 year old girl who described herself as invisible in a note found by her teacher. This young girl’s life was falling apart. What she thought was “unsinkable” was sinking and she was drowning in the frigid waters of divorce. This young girl’s parents were divorcing and she was becoming just one of millions of statistics. All the comfort and security that she had grown to accept was now being destroyed along with her heart. She was scared, afraid, confused and just trying to survive the pain. She was feeling invisible to her parents and almost just as difficult, she was feeling invisible to everyone around her.
There are millions of people all around us who feel “invisible”. Their circumstances may be different but the effect is the same. They are desperate people who feel abandoned and alone with no “lifeboat”. Have you ever felt invisible? Have you ever felt like you were the “only” one going through a struggle? I have and I would bet every single person who reads this will have felt this way at some point in their lives. You and I can be rescuers today. We can throw out a life-line of love and acceptance. We can bring comfort to those in pain by listening to their hurts and soothing their aches with tenderness. I will warn you though! To save those who are desperate and scared you may have to be willing to get out of YOUR lifeboat.
Do you want to go deeper? Read the account of Job in the Bible. Boy, did he ever feel invisible. You must read the entire book to understand his tragedy and triumph.
Brian Hoover