We first look at ourselves and the interesting role we have on the ship. We are all, at first, mere passengers. At some point, when we accept Christ into our lives, we stand and take our places among the servants and crew of the ship, helping those around us in whatever capacity we can. Oddly, this cruise will ultimately be more about the crew then the passengers, so the more crew members the better.
Next are the Angels, who are the ship's technical crew. They are not seen by the passengers, and have orders and responsibilities we don't know or understand, but we know that the ship wouldn't function without them. We can imagine what they do around the ship: fix leaks, maintain the engine, and even work in the crew and passengers' cabins. While we may think of them, we must remember that they are always following the orders of the Captain, who should always be our main focus.
Long before the passengers came aboard, Satan was a first lieutenant to the Captain. In a bid to take the ship he led a mutiny along with members of the technical crew and lost. They were immediately expelled from Bridge, stripped of their ranks, and forced to dwell in the dark places of the ship. The captain has a Course for the ship, and a plan, even for them, so they were not tossed overboard... not yet.
And then, the best for last: God Himself, who takes on various vital roles on the ship. The closest part to us is Jesus, who is the one that walks among the passengers and crew. We can think of him as an ever-present Cruise Director, who works with the passengers, guiding them in day to day affairs, defends them from the stowaways (Satan and the demons), and initiates them - when they are willing - into to crew. His responsibilities are many and mysterious, but we also know he was a pivotal part of building the ship aswell as helping to run it.
The Holy Spirit is always hardest to explain and I am fairly certain that any metaphorical explanation will always fall far short. And even in this ship story it is hard to represent Him with all reverence. He may be a special intercom system between the Captain and the passengers and crew opening communication to all. He may be the fuel of the ship, and the food in the galley. He may even be a special itinerary that everyone receives, and are always aware of, but may or may not follow. None of these completely fit, but I think it is alright to leave it at that.
This all brings us, at last, to God the Father; The Captain. He is seated in the Captain's Chair on the Bridge. We know from the Bible that he is always there. He touches every life on the ship by directing the technical crew and the passenger crew through the Holy Spirit. He sends out the Cruise Director to prepare His crew to go on to the next phase of the Cruise. But, like a good captain, he never leaves His post at the Bridge, because it is necessary for Him to direct everything from there.
Just after the first two passengers came aboard, the mutineers helped to steer the ship into the iceberg of the First Sin. While the Captain was at His post, He sent the Cruise Director to take care of it. Unlike the Titanic, our Savior was able to mend the damage, and save the passengers from total destruction. Though the ship was changed, and could not run quite the same, the Captain remains to see the Cruise through to the end.
Why does He not directly intervene, even though he clearly directs all things? We cannot ever know how He thinks of things, or why He does things a certain way... But He did give us His Word and an imagination, and I do not believe it is irreverent to consider the possibilities. I might imagine that if He did directly take hold of anything, it would be like a man who built a car, but then pushed it down the road instead of driving it. In that line, I believe He built this world to enjoy it, and to enjoy us. So, how could He enjoy us, and our free will, if we were only puppets and He the puppet master?
No. Our Father God chose to be the Captain, with all of the responsibilities therein and does not directly intervene in our lives because His place of Authority, Responsibility, and Glory is at the Bridge. Yet, He also takes care of us through the use of his crew. He interacts and build a strong relationship with us through His one and only Cruise Director. He maintains communication and connection with use through the Holy Spirit. And He continuously guides us toward the Port of the Last Day, where the members of the crew will disembark, the mutineers will be dealt with, and the Ship will be remade in order to take us on to the next cruise, the one we were always meant for.
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