Titanic: Remembering a 99-Year-Old Tragedy

Ninety-nine years ago, on the night of April 14-15, the luxury ship Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic. Over 1,500 people perished in one of the worst maritime disasters in history.

Many movies and books have been made about this tragedy. I remember watching the 1997 movie. I thought the producers did a good job recreating the real-life characters. On board the ship there were the wealthy, the middle class and the poor. Some were enjoying their present life, some were looking for a better life, and some were just trying to survive. Yes, these people who lived a century ago were just like you and me today.

The 1997 movie was one of the most profitable movies of all time. The makers of this movie gained financially from this sad event. But you and I can gain spiritually if we look at three mistakes that contributed to the enormous loss of life that spring night 99 years ago.

1. Trusting in self and a false sense of security

When the Titanic was built, it was made with then state-of-the-art technology. It had a double-hulled bottom and 16 watertight compartments, four of which could flood and the ship would still stay afloat. The ship’s owner, White Star Line, promoted the Titanic as being “designed to be unsinkable.” Even the ship’s designer, Thomas Andrews Jr., commented that the Titanic was “as nearly perfect as human brains can make her.”

Did Captain Edward Smith consider this as the ship traveled at near top speed in dangerous waters?

We know what happened. After hitting the iceberg, six of the watertight compartments flooded. In less than three hours, the Titanic was on the bottom of the Atlantic. All of man’s technological advances couldn’t stop this tragedy.

The Bible tells us it’s better to trust in God than in man (Psalm 118:8). Increased knowledge and physical strength can cause us to think that we don’t need God (Isaiah 31:1). 

God’s Word says that “unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Trusting only in ourselves and our own abilities will eventually get us in serious trouble.

2. Neglecting the warning signs

When the Titanic hit the iceberg, it wasn’t because there were no warnings. At least six iceberg warning messages were sent to the Titanic that night. But even without these messages, the well-experienced captain should have been more cautious on a moonless night with calm waters.

Today, many throw caution to the wind, thinking that something bad won’t happen to them. But God says not to live dangerously because when we play with fire we will be burned (Proverbs 6:27-28).

Some are totally oblivious to what it going on around them today. But is the constant stream of disasters that fills the nightly news simply a group of disconnected events, or is God using them to warn us that we need to return to Him and His way of life? God says that the bad times that are coming will appear to come suddenly to those who don’t heed His warnings (Luke 21:25-26, 34-35). The crew of the Titanic ignored the warnings. Will you?

3. Seeking God when it was too late

As the Titanic sank lower and lower, undoubtedly hundreds cried out to God to save them. But history shows most of them died. Why?

God isn’t a genie in a bottle that we use only when we need Him. As the Bible explains, “time and chance” happen to everyone (Ecclesiastes 9:11), and God doesn’t always save humans from foolish decisions. What we must remember is that our relationship with God is what ultimately determines our future. God wants a daily relationship with you and me, and this is what is most important to Him.

When we look at the world today, there is no doubt that we are in troubled waters. The Bible says to seek God while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). But He won’t be found by us if we continue to break His laws (Isaiah 59:1-2).

In Matthew 7:24-27, God likens those who heed His instruction to a house built on a solid foundation—a house that will not be destroyed via storm and rain. Conversely, those who ignore God’s instructions will be like a house built on a poor foundation that will surely fall when the storms of life arrive. 

Yes, great was the fall of the mighty Titanic. But don’t let history repeat itself in your life. Let’s learn the lessons from this 99-year-old tragedy. Let’s not live our lives trusting in ourselves. Let’s slow down and heed God’s warnings that we need to return to Him. And let’s seek God while He may be found. He will be our needed lifeboat in the storms to come.

Tim Groves is a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.  He and his wife, Teresa, along with their four children, live in South Carolina.