Man Overboard

We all know good people who have switched church. Sometimes we can see the reason, and sometimes we can’t. It may appear to us a petty reason, or faith breaking. Whatever the reason, it cannot be taken lightly, and we must recognise and honour their decision while keeping their friendship.

When a man or woman on a ship goes overboard, if they are not rescued by the crew of the boat they fell or jumped from, sadly they drown and are lost. When it comes to the church, it is the same. Whether it was a fall, or a jump, there was a deeply held reason or conviction for their action. The rescuers may be thanked, they may not. When we see or know a friend who has gone over the side, do we try to rescue them, or let them be lost? After all, if we as friends don’t throw the lifebelt, who else will? How many have we let drown?

There is another side to this situation. The boat may be close to shore, or a sandy beach, or even near the rocks when the man or woman goes over. There is every reason to believe that the jumper will survive, even on an uncertain rocky outcrop. In that case, there is no life or death reason to attempt a rescue, so why bother (so the thinking goes).

Let’s imagine another possibility. You boarded the ship which was headed for a specific port, and while on the way, the captain and crew decided to change course to suit the majority of the passengers. It may have been democratic, but it wasn’t what you signed up for, and mile by mile you are getting more distant from the port where you longed to disembark. Now the rules have changed. Do you stay onboard ship, knowing it and you are off course, or do you take an opportunity, and jump off when you are near the safety of some dry land, and you can swim to shore? From there, you are clear to get another vessel which will take you to the destination you know in your heart is the one for you. Better still, if another ship headed to your chosen destination comes alongside, you can literally ‘jump ship’ to safety.

When you notice that a regular church attender is absent from their usual place, ask yourself where they might be and why. If they fell overboard, then please make every effort to rescue them. If they jumped, ask why, and then ask yourself if you are happy with the change of course made by the crew of the ship you are on. Maybe, just maybe, your ship is slowly changing course and you are not going where the compass originally pointed. Now THAT is a good time to jump! Jesus’ step-brother Jude penned these words to help us decide:

I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. Jude 1:3