Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
After Surviving Titanic: What should you do?

After Surviving Titanic: What should you do?

Last updated on: April 15, 2015 at 7:30 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

After Surviving Titanic: What should you do? 2015-04-14T10:23:21-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Titanic

Avoid working for the White Star Line and signing up for the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic. If despite your best efforts, you end up on your own equivalent to Titanic, act sensibly. Income Tax Day in the United States is also the day when the survivors of the Titanic were picked up and had to face life after RMS Titanic. Supposing you survive your near-death encounter with your metaphorical North Atlantic, what should a survivor do?

Determine what went wrong and hold the right people accountable.

If you are at a Titanic company that plays fast and loose with money, the temptation is to find some underling and send them into the North Atlantic. The greater risk is to fall into the “haven’t-they-all-suffered-enough” trap. Survivors just want to get on with living, but they owe the innocent dead a responsibility.

It is true that the Captain of the great liner is dead. One need not dishonor his memory or minimize his courage while the ship went down. Honor what he did right, but for the good of future generations, make sure that lessons are learned.

After a venture fails, when Walt Disney goes bankrupt, figure out what went wrong. If the crash was Walt’s fault, and you are still working with him, make sure he fesses up or go elsewhere. If Walt learns, then stick it out: Walt Disney is hard to find.

Make sure it does not happen again.

Titanic led to ice patrols, new (overdue) safety policies on ships, and better use of radio shacks on ships. These changes would have prevented the disaster from happening or minimized the loss of life and have helped keep ocean going vessels safer than ever. Sadly, the Captain was lost and could not learn anything from his voyage and the White Star Line was not held sufficiently accountable for the disaster. Lessons that could have been learned were not.

Try to make sure that a brush with your own North Atlantic is the last anyone will face. Do not let the White Star Line, if it survives, get away with their lack of care. Hold them accountable for insensitive actions like billing the bereaved families of the brave band members of Titanic for “unreturned” uniforms. Tell the story and help others grow.

Thank and honor the people who saved you.

The Carpathia was not the closest ship to Titanic, leave that “honor” to the California: radio-blind, led by a stupid captain who could not adjust to an emergency, and worthy of the dishonor the ship received. The Carpathia steamed hard for Titanic at some risk to her own safety. She saved some who might have been lost standing on the collapsible lifeboat by her furious drive to the scene.

Those men deserved honor, recognition, and praise. Britain and the United States made sure they got it. The Captain of Carpathia was knighted . . . the Captain of California? Not so much. If you see somebody going down, try to react like the Carpathia and not see blindly like California.

While cursing the fools that sank the ship, take time to honor the people who pulled you out of the water. Make sure they know your gratitude. After your own North Atlantic experience, never forget the brave, the faithful, and the true who came to the rescue.

You owe them. Pay.

Don’t cash in or assume the world owes you after your hard time.

Carry on Mr. Lightoller.

Some people cannot get over the trauma of the sinking of RMS Titanic. They cannot escape survivor’s guilt. Nobody should criticize the men and women who cannot defeat the difficult task of moving on with life after a traumatic experience.

And yet if we can, the best lives are those that learn a lesson and move on to further adventures. Charles Herbert Lightoller would never shine as brightly as he did the night of his heroism on Titanic, but he went on to live a great life. He helped rescue men at Dunkirk and served bravely in World War II. Most would not recall his name if it were not for Titanic, but that ship does not define the whole of his life.

You went down with the ship. You survived. Now, Mr. Lightoller, find a place to serve your King and country and do your duty.

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

April 14, 2015

Four Things to Do if You Wake Up on RMS Titanic

Next Post

April 16, 2015 Gloriously Joyful Today!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What major prophet often used object lessons, such as a ruined loincloth?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Habakkuk Malachi Jeremiah Isaiah

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »