The Titanic Love Story Cameron Missed
Colin Melbourne
© 97-08 Born-Again-Christian.info
If you didn't weep you missed it. Maybe you were preoccupied counting freckles on DC's nose, or mesmerised by Kate's chest. Perhaps Hollywood action thrillers have made you numb and cynical towards Cameron's masterpiece. Personally, I shed tears for days after seeing Titanic, it moved me so much. Why? Because I saw the True Love Story the director ignored.
I'm not alone in being deeply moved: it is the biggest grossing film of all time. Why is that? Simply because people are touched by the themes of peril, hopelessness, salvation, and above all, love. We see ourselves in the characters, and their predicaments.
• The beautiful rich girl, unsatisfied despite outrageous luxury. Frustrated by social strictures, rebelling against conformity. Preferring suicide to submission.
• Jack, the care-free hustler with a stunning smile, and mindless T-shirt slogan philosophy, "Live for Today!"
• The inbred arrogance of the 'upper classes', and the shallowness of ego-mania.
The story crystallises our deepest need: a love that is willing to die for us.
Please don't read any further until after you have seen Titanic, I don't want to spoil your enjoyment.
Anyone who has seen it can't fail to be punched in the heart by such vivid imagery as:
• A mother, dangling from the ship's rail by one arm, whilst clutching her baby in the other. What would you do?
• The panic stricken boy crying in a flooding corridor, lost and alone. Have you been there yet?
• Deck-bound men lowering the last lifeboat, carrying their wives and children.
• The steerage passenger's terror at being padlocked inside a sinking ship.
Some scenes churn my heart at every recollection;
• Rose leaping from her lifeboat, back onto the doomed liner. Would you do that?
• Her desperate search for Jack chained below deck. Have you ever yearned for someone so much you would risk your life for them?
• Jack's horror at being trapped, and manacled. But worse being separated from his loved one.
• Rose rescuing Jack. Thank God for gutsy women.
• Jack nobly giving Rose the wreckage to float on, then staying by her side, encouraging her to survive, as he freezes to death. In his dying words, demanding from her a solemn promise to live and not give up.
• The pitiful wailing of the abandoned, followed by silence, and the shot of the frozen floating corpses.
• Rose on the brink of death, discovering Jack has died. Forced to let go of his hand: but not her love, she watches him disappear forever into the deep.
• In old-age, re-telling with dignity and humour, her life-long secret to a group of treasure-hunters.
• The dream sequence of being united with her 'saviour' waiting on the stairs, is too moving for words.
• Returning to Jack's watery grave, having kept the promise, releasing with a heart-rending gasp the priceless symbol of their love.
Pundits criticize details, and miss the grandeur. This is majestic story-telling, worthy of all the awards and acclaim.
However, there is a greater tragedy mirrored in this classic, a more perfect love, and the only genuine salvation.
What we need most is unfailing love.
Love that has no limits, and never ends. The kind of love we were made for. Only God's love never fails. Human love has boundaries: Divine love has none.
The two fictional leads, Rose and Jack, did not know God. They didn't realise that Jesus came to show us God. He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, and forgave repentant sinners. Christ is God's will in action. He set captives free, cast out devils, and made 'crazies' sane. He loved losers, lifted prostitutes, and restores believers to God.
When you see Jesus, you see God.
He said,
If you have seen me, you have seen the Father (God). Holy Bible Jn. 14:9 NIV
To know God, you mustcome through Jesus, who said;
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me. Jn. 14:6
Rose saved Jack from drowning in irons, only for him to drown in despair soon after.
Jack saved Rose from social captivity, and freezing death, only for her to endure a lonely, heartbroken existence.
Jesus said He came
To save the lost, and give them abundant life. Lk. 19:10, and Jn. 10:10
That's why He chose to die paying our sin debt, to give believers eternal life, peace, and complete salvation.
He is alive, by your side right now, saying: "I love you, I paid for you, I did it all for you. Only believe! Repent from unbelief, trust in me, let me come into your heart, and we will be friends and partners forever."
Rose said Jack, "Saved me in every possible way." He died helping her to live. That's beautiful, but his blood couldn't pay for her sins. Only Jesus' Blood will pay for sins.
Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save; 'In every possible way'.
Perhaps you are not aware of it, but if you are unsaved you are in mortal peril too. Jesus warned,
Whoever does not believe (in Him) stands condemned already. Jn. 3:17
Without Christ you will be eternallyseparated from God because of the inevitable judgmentfor sin.
Jesus died to save you from sin's punishment, a life of emptiness and from Hell.
He carried your sicknesses, your infirmities, and your guilt, so you don't have to bear them.
He took the full consequences that you deserve, to set you completely free, when you trust in Him.
The innocent Son of God gave up everything for you;
While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Ro. 5:9
So we can have all that He had.
His peace, His righteousness, His power, His life, and His Love.
Jesus said,
For God so loved the world (you) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn. 3:16
Living a decent life, following a religion, or attending church can never save you.
Jesus said, You MUST be born again! Jn. 3:7
He wasn't talking about re-incarnation, the Holy Bible declares that there is no such thing, Heb. 9:27.
He explained that to be born again is to accept him into your heart as Lord and Saviour. Receiving God's Spirit, God's life, into your spirit to become a new creation, God's child.
It must have been terrifying to die on the Titanic, but to reject Christ and die in your sins is far worse. Particularly since Christ has already paid your debt, and all you have to do is repent and believe in Him.
Please don't waste this opportunity, you are not reading this by chance. God's Spirit is drawing you to trust in Jesus. Receive Him by praying this with all of your heart;
Lord Jesus Christ,
Thank you for paying for all of my sins when you died on the Cross, and rose again. You were innocent, I am guilty. Your word says that everyone who calls on your name will be saved Ro. 10:13
I call on you to save me now.
I receive you into my heart as Lord and Saviour.
Lead me, so that I can follow you for the rest of my life, and tell the world what you have done for us.
Thank you for hearing me in you loving mercy. By faith in your word, I declare that I am now saved. Amen!
Now seal your decision by Telling Us so we can all rejoice.
Tract Image © Chick Publns. Used by permission
It simply never fails
