Faith | Drifting off course? God can keep us out of a deceptive current

The mission organization I work with has invested in more than a half dozen relief projects over the last few weeks — in locations as diverse as India, Pakistan, Ukraine, Vietnam, Israel and Cuba.

Like the Good Samaritan, we help suffering people because they are suffering — with no strings attached.

But we must never lose sight of Jesus’ strong admonition to tell those same people that there is Good News. As Jesus reminded us all, “(I came) to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT).

The following modern-day parable is sometimes attributed to evangelist Leighton Ford. There is also some indication that an Episcopal priest, Rev. Theodore O. Wedel, may have written it in 1953.

Although I have not been successful to definitively confirm who penned it, the story offers a gripping metaphor for a local Christian church, nonprofit agency or even a movement or denomination that has abandoned and ultimately forgotten why it exists.

The parable: “On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut with only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea and, with no thought for themselves, went out day and night — tirelessly searching for those who were lost.

Some of those who were saved and various others in the surrounding area wanted to associate with the station, and gave of their time, money, and effort to support its work. New boats were bought, and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew.

Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge for those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building.

As time went on, the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members—sort of a club. People with the time and talents began to decorate the facility.

Since fewer and fewer members seemed interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, they hired lifeboat crews to do this work. The lifesaving motif, however, still prevailed in the club’s décor — including a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club’s initiations were held.

About this time, a large ship wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick.

The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwrecks could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a split among the club membership.

Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities, regarding them as an unpleasant hindrance to the normal social life of the club.

Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose, pointing out that they were still called a “lifesaving station.” But in the end they were voted down.

They were told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station.

So they did. As the years went by, however, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station was founded.

History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.”

As we sail into 2023, God keep us all from drifting in that deceptive current!

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will keep the main thing, the main thing. There is eternal salvation—as well as practical help, healing and comfort—in the strong name of Jesus.