1 Peter 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
In the aftermath of the Second World War, William Francis Gibbs was commissioned by the US government to construct a state-of-the-art troop carrier for the navy. His brief was to design a ship capable of carrying 15,000 troops across the seas at high speed during wartime. The SS America was duly completed by 1952. She was a stunningly impressive ship, built at massive cost, capable of travelling at over 50mph and completing 10,000 miles without needing to refuel. Within ten days she could reach anywhere on the planet by sea, and she had no competitor to the title of fastest, most impressive and most reliable troop carrier in the world. It seemed that exciting days lay ahead…
…but ironically, she never carried any troops to war. Apart from during the Cuban missile crisis a decade later, during which she was put on standby, she lay completely redundant, her capacity and potential untapped. And in the end, she was decommissioned and turned into a luxury liner – impressive in a different way – but far from of the grandiose goals of defending her nation. Now she entertained wealthy patrons as she gently wended her way across the oceans. Instead of carrying 15,000 troops to do battle, she catered for 2,000 indulgent pleasure-seekers who enjoyed the 695 staterooms, 4 dining salons, 3 bars, 2 theaters, 5 acres of open deck with a heated pool, and more.
Which incarnation of the SS America more closely resembles your church, or your idea of church? And which attitude more closely resembles yours – that of the crack troops or of the carefree holiday-makers? Things look radically different on a luxury liner than they do on a troop carrier. Of course troops need R&R – time out to have fun and replenish their energy – but in general, as followers of Jesus, we need to remain alert and on guard, as our verse above tells us.
Lord, I choose to be alert and self-controlled today. Amen!
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