Keep the Light On

Did you know that the lights stayed on as the Titanic sunk? I thought the lights were just for cinematic effect, to improve visibility for Rose and Jack's infamous final scene. But it is actually historically accurate. 

In the Summer of 2022, they started creating a 3D rendering of the Titanic for the first time. Never before did they have a complete view of the wreck. Now, the infamous ship can be analyzed from a totally new perspective. Some of the lore from eyewitness accounts can be confirmed. For example, survivors have said for years that the ship's lights stayed on as the Titanic fell beneath the waves and began to sink over 2 miles under the surface. But in 1912, the lights would have to be kept on manually, with people operating the boilers and shoveling coal to keep them going. Until now, it could not have been proven or believed because, presumably, everyone was trying to escape. Why would someone keep the lights on even when the ship is sinking deep into the water? 

But with this new scan, the survivor's story confirms that the lights did stay on. There are two subtle pieces of evidence that, with prolonged study, show that some people willingly risked their lives just to keep the lights on. According to the BBC, “The digital replica shows that some of the boilers are concave, which suggests they were still operating as they were plunged into the water. Lying on the deck of the stern, a valve has also been discovered in an open position, indicating that steam was still flowing into the electricity generating system.” This means that Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer of the Titanic, and his team sacrificed their lives to keep the lights on. The lights made it possible for more survivors to escape. This simple act of shoveling coal saved countless lives. As a Titanic analyst, Parks Stephenson says, "They kept the lights and the power working to the end, to give the crew time to launch the lifeboats safely with some light instead of in absolute darkness." The lore believed Bell never abandoned his post, but there was no evidence until this new scan. Some of the boilers would not have collapsed under the deep sea pressure if they had not been actively used. The valve would not have been left open with the threat of more water entering the ship if it didn’t have a greater purpose. Everyone who stayed behind died, and Bell left behind a wife and four children. But his sacrifice is now being shown in a new light. Stephenson says, "They held the chaos at bay as long as possible, and all of that was kind of symbolized by this open steam valve just sitting there on the stern."

I first read this story on the Monday night of Holy Week, right before I fell asleep. I couldn’t get this image out of my head, especially with the connection to Psalm 130, which I said last week is a perfect chorus to these critical seven days. 

Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; (Psalm 130:1a)

Out of the Depths, Joseph Bell and his team worked to make it safer for countless others to escape, knowing they had no chance of survival. As a faithful Episcopal/Anglican man, I wonder if he said this psalm from the depths of the Atlantic. 

His wife had a plaque made in his honor at their church in St Faith’s Church, Waterloo near Liverpool, England it reads:

“Faithful unto Death”

I imagine people who do not celebrate the Resurrection may ponder why we do this. Why do we remember such a gruesome and public death centuries later? Why are we faithful centuries later?

And then I imagine Joseph Bell in the Boiler Room on the Titanic. He didn’t have to. He could have gotten on a lifeboat and maybe saved himself. But Bell chose to keep the lights on. 

My soul waits for the LORD,

more than watchmen for the morning, *

    more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5)

Just like the new scan of the Titanic, this annual pilgrimage through Holy Week continues to shed new light on an old story. Year after year, something new continues to be born and something stirring becomes renewed. This is the beauty of Joseph Bell’s story in Holy Week;  when it feels like we are drowning or actually are somehow somewhere, we keep the lights on. Remember to keep the flame burning even if it seems futile because you never know what might come of the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit.