Friday, January 24, 2014

A SINKING SHIP

A SINKING SHIP


                            A ship was sailing along a calm ocean. Its captain was a renowned and skilled mariner with long years of experience and expertise in safe sailing even in the rough sea. The confidant crew had absolute faith in their captain’s efficiency. But quite unexpectedly, the ship sailed away from the established path and collided against a large rock. The ship was split into two parts which drowned, killing most of the mariners. The Government ordered an official enquiry about the unexpected accident.
                            Finding no easy clue, the team of investigators deputed divers to recover the essential equipment in the ship. In those days, a mariner’s compass was the major equipment to determine the direction of sailing. The compass was examined in detail. It was found to point to a direction different from the north. Further study showed that the needle was pointing in a definite direction in the compass, without displaying any effect of the magnetic north pole. A metallic object was detected within the compass which was misdirecting the magnetic needle. It was identified as the tip of an iron knife used by someone for a minor repair of the compass, such as moving the lid up to make the needle free to rotate. But, without the notice of the person, the tip of the iron knife broke and remained there, causing deviation in the direction of the magnetic needle and thus misdirecting the huge ship away from the standard channel and ending in a tragic ship wreck.
                             The word of God is given to us to provide correct direction in case of confusion in the voyages and tempests of life. Distortions and misinterpretations of the Divine words are sure to misdirect us from the correct path of life. No one is permitted to alter the words of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. St. Paul warns the Galatians, “There are some people who are upsetting you and trying to change the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell!” {Galatians 1: 7-9}.
                            We believe in the principles and practices of our parent Church. We believe that they are based on the Sacred Scriptures and holy traditions gifted to us by God. Persons disguised as scholars and advisers may meet us and try to confuse us with their eloquent words. They may try their best to misinterpret the Scriptures and argue that our faith and rituals are wrong and against the words of God. We should be aware of their tricks. We must love our Church and learn the Scriptures and the doctrines of the Church systematically. Then false prophets cannot mislead us from the path of truth.
                             Jesus warned us, “Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briars do not bear figs” {Matthew 7: 15, 16}.
                             The Bible is to be read and studied systematically, assimilated actively and practised properly in daily life. Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnated as man. The Bible is the Word of God incarnated in the language of man.
                             King David sings in the Psalms, “Your Word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path” {Psalms 119:105}. St. Paul exhorts us to get ready for the war against Devil using the Word of God as the sword of the soul: “And accept salvation as a helmet and the Word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you” {Ephesians 6:17}.
                           “The Word of God is alive and active; sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet. It judges the desires and thoughts of man’s heart” {Hebrews 4:12}.
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© By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip, Darsana Academy, Kottayam-686001, Kerala, India ( Former Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India), Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally,  Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
                         For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit our web-sites:
                         This is Story No. 295 in the second site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click 'Newer Posts' at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in these sites. Please click on a word in the 'Story Themes' to read stories on that theme.

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