But I Thought

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV). On the night of July 25, 1956, at 11:10 p.m., 45 miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria and the Swedish ocean liner Stockholm collided in a heavy Atlantic fog. Fifty-one passengers and crew were killed in the collision which ripped a great hole in the broad side of the Italian vessel. Both ships were equipped with sophisticated radar systems, and authorities were puzzled as to the cause of the accident. The Stockholm was just beginning its journey home to Sweden from New York, while the Andrea Doria was steaming in the opposite direction. The Italian liner had been in an intermittent fog since midafternoon, but Captain Piero Calami only slightly reduced his speed, relying on his ship's radar to get him to his destination safely and on schedule. Captain H. Gunnar Nordenson, who risked encountering westbound vessels in the name of reducing travel time, meanwhile, directed the Stockholm, north of its recommended route. The Stockholm also had radar and expected no difficulty in navigating past approaching vessels. It failed to anticipate, however, that a ship like the Andrea Doria could be hidden until the last few minutes by a fogbank. Less than a mile away, Captain Calami realized he was on a collision course with the Stockholm and turned hard to the left, hoping to race past the bow of the Swedish ship. Both ships were too large and moving too fast to make a quick turn. At 10:09 a.m. on July 26, the Andrea Doria sank into the Atlantic. I can hear the captains of both the ships as they try to explain their actions of that night: “But I thought…” There were many mistakes made that resulted in this well-known naval tragedy. However, the saddest part of the story is that most, if not all, of them could have been avoided. As I read this morning’s verses, it occurred to me that a clear warning is being sounded to us today. We have been informed of what is necessary to gain eternal life very clearly. Nothing short of complete faith in the work of Christ is sufficient to save us. When the Day of Judgment comes there will be no acceptable excuses. Today, reflect on your relationship with the Lord. Are you trusting in Christ? Have you been born again? If there is any doubt in your mind, a simple prayer begins the process: Dear Jesus, forgive me of my sins and make me Your child. Start your journey today in His grace.