Sail On!

Today is Columbus Day. It is a day that Americans celebrate the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492.  Some say that America was really discovered by Norse Vikings, Irish missionaries or the ten lost tribes of Israel!  But the fact is Columbus was successful in his quest and returned to the old World to spread the good news. 

Ironically we bear the name of Amerigo Vespucci who claimed to have been the first to reach the continental mainland in 1497.  Nonetheless, Columbus Day is significant more for what it represents than for who received the recognition.  Columbus did not waver in his beliefs about the world. He refused to be sidetracked from his goal.  He forged ahead with the qualities of courage, persistence, patience and determination.  He continued on the course that he had chosen.             Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote of Columbus, “Every ship that comes to America got its chart from Columbus.”

You see, even though we honor Columbus and think of his achievement as something glamorous and glorious, much of his voyage could be described as mundane. The monotonous.  Tedious.  In reading through  his journal, there were many days in which Columbus simply wrote, “Today we sailed on.”

The Christian life is like the voyage of Columbus. We often sail a rough and treacherous sea in life.  It is fraught with many fears and dangers.   There are those who doubt, others who discourage us, and some that will seek to discredit our faith. And there are times that our days seem ordinary. Common. Dreary.  But like Columbus, we must sail on!

We sail by faith, and not by sight, to appropriate the language of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:7.  Just as Columbus did not know for sure what was over the horizon, but sailed on in faith, we do the same.  Of course, our faith is much deeper, more sure and based on solid evidence. (Heb 11:1)  By faith, we sail on!

We sail with a goal in mind.  Paul was able to endure much affliction, heartache and trouble because he pressed “toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14). Our ultimate goal is the promised land!  But, like Columbus, we must meet short-term goals.  We must sail a day at a time. But all the time with our eyes on the desired prize, we sail on!

We sail with courage.  It takes courage to launch out into the unknown.  To weather the storms.  To keep going when it is hard.  Courage has always been a key component for God’s people.  Moses commanded Joshua to “be of good courage.””  David exhorted his young son, Solomon, when he came to the throne to ““be strong and of good courage.”  The Christian solider must have courage (Eph. 6:10-12). With courage, we sail on!

We will sail with persistence, patience and determination. We will not waver. We will not quit.  We will not give in. We will not give up.  (1Cor. 15:58) And so, in the words of the poem  “Columbus” by Joaquin Miller, “what shall we do when hope is gone?  The words leapt like a leaping sword: Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! And on!

Why? Because we know the mighty ocean is not crossed in a single day.  That old destructive habits are not discarded in a day.  Better behaviors are not developed in a day. Success is not achieved in a day.  Children are not raised to be productive citizens in a day.  And Christian maturity is not attained in a day.

And so today sail on.  Whatever your challenge, sail on. Wherever you’re headed, sail on.  Regardless of the obstacle, sail on.  And no matter how mundane and mediocre your day may be, sail on!

Ken Weliever, The Preacherman