Navigating Our Times by Roy Harley

Message from CS International Director; Roy Harley

Navigating Our Times 

The main road in my hometown of Jeffreys Bay, South Africa is called Da Gama Road. Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who first discovered and pioneered an extremely lucrative trade route to India. What makes this feat so incredible and groundbreaking was how he navigated. He didn’t hug the coast as others had attempted. He headed out into the unknown ocean, way beyond the safe view of the shore. Imagine in an unexplored frontier not seeing land for a few days, then a few weeks, and then the horror of weeks stretching into months.

While it terrified others, Vasco stuck to his navigation, sailed 4500 miles to arrive three months later at what is today called the City of Cape Town.  

How could he be so confident when all around him feared for their lives? The answer is simple; he had fixed his gaze on something consistent and stable. When others looked at the waves, the wind, the storm and, in numerous other problems, he kept his eyes transfixed on the stars. 

As we sail into the unknown future amidst the storm clouds of a once in a century global pandemic, we should stop! Breathe! Lookup!

Look up at our immutable, Father. Recognise that He is entirely unchangeable in his divine character covenant and will. Take heart in His abundant mercy and opulent grace. Enjoy His reckless love for us, and choose courage in His eternal offer of abundant Life through His one and only Son Jesus.

So let’s bring our A-game to the Surf culture. Let’s discover new pathways of His grace. Let’s innovate, let’s create, and in the words of the songwriter sing: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

Nehemiah 9:6

“You alone are the Lord.

You have made the heavens,

The heaven of heavens with all their host,

The earth and all that is on it,

The seas and all that is in them.

You give life to all of them

And the heavenly host bows down before You.