“You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” Motto, Massachusetts Humane Society

On the island of Nantucket there is a museum dedicated to celebrating the unique maritime heritage of the island. Located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast when maritime travel was in its heyday, Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day—all navigating without the advantages of modern technology. There have been over 700 shipwrecks in the area dubbing it as the “graveyard of the Atlantic.” Contained within the museum are artifacts and stories of those who sailed, and those who risked their lives to rescue those whose ships were sinking. I have never visited Nantucket, but I would like to someday. As I was reading about the museum one story stood out, and I want to summarize it for you here. It is the story of the Massachusetts Humane Society.

Formally established in 1786, the Massachusetts Humane Society was concerned about the needless deaths resulting from shipwrecks and drowning and wanted to find ways to save lives. From the outset, it focused on recognizing the selfless lifesaving rescues and preventing such tragedies. Volunteers would spend hours at a time in huts that overlooked the ocean watching for any ship that might be in peril. They stationed equipment at certain vantage points to be ready at a moments notice to go and attempt rescue. This heroic group of volunteers adopted the motto, “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” Soon, other groups like the United States Life Saving Association, and the United States Coast Guard, joined the efforts to save lives. For a while, the volunteers and the paid workers worked side-by-side risking life and limb to rescue, but in time that would change. Barriers would start to form between the groups. The volunteers started to make statements like, “We don’t have the right training, or equipment;” and, “Maybe we should let the professionals do this”; and later, “Why should we risk our lives volunteering when they are the ones getting paid?” This group once dedicated to selfless lifesaving rescues quit watching for ships in peril. They quit going out to help with rescues, and lost their purpose. A few members of the group still meet today, but not to save lives, to have fellowship. It is interesting to me how things change…

This year our school theme is focused upon Servanthood. When we talk about servanthood, we mean more than just doing work for someone else. After all, people who are not connected with Jesus can serve. People can do good deeds for others, but that is not what we mean by servanthood. People can also serve out of wrong motives—to gain self-worth, to call attention to themselves, to alleviate guilt, etc. Serving from wrong motives is not servanthood. True servanthood flows out of a deep friendship with Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit as a result of an abiding in Christ (John 15:5), producing spiritual, eternal fruit in becoming more like Jesus. Yet sometimes barriers stop people from serving. My hope is that we will be able to begin to live 1 Peter 4:10-11 this school year, and that we will not lose our purpose.

Thanks for reading.