From the Editors April 9, 2012 Issue

From the Titanic to the Internet: A spiritual journey

The Editors

On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic sailed into history—and legend. For many, the sinking stands as a warning against arrogance and pride. It is also an affirmation of courage expressed by many who went down with the ship, spending their last hours or minutes helping others to escape or to feel comforted. 

Though she was birthed in the technology of the times, technology wasn’t the Titanic’s flaw. In Titanic: The Death and Life of a Legend, Michael Davie writes: “The basic flaw of the Titanic was not technical. Her fate is better explained by the theories of [American journalist and historian] Henry Adams . . . . [who] saw the modern world being propelled at an ever-increasing speed by the new energies released through scientific discovery . . .” (p. 22). 

In the 21st century, humanity is still on a spiritual journey of discovery. Today, thought travels far faster than the radio telegraph of the Titanic’s day. In a minute or less cries of distress in a disaster can leap from one part of the globe to another. This interconnection has speeded help to those in trouble in ways far beyond the imagining of the Titanic’s rescuers. 

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