«The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death» (Proverbs 13:14).
WISDOM
One of the most dangerous incidents in the history of humanity happened on October 27, 1962. In the context of the so called «missile crisis,» a group of armored marines from the United States, led by the USS Randolph aircraft carrier, dropped death charges near the Soviet B-59, which was there to protect Soviet ships that approached the island of Cuba. The Americans didn’t know that the submarine carried nuclear weapons. Because of the constant explosions, the temperature began to rise inside the submarine, especially in the machine room. Then, the submarine was left in total darkness, except for emergency lights. The air’s carbon dioxide reached very dangerous levels. The sailors were barely able to breathe and several of them lost consciousness. Panic took over most of them. The Captain, Valentin Savitski, desperately tried to communicate with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff but was unable to. Tension reached its highest peak. So he called the officer in charge of nuclear torpedoes, ordered him to get ready for battle and shouted,
«There may be a war raging up there and we are trapped here turning somersaults! We are going to hit them hard. We shall die ourselves, sink them all but not stain the navy’s honor!»
There were three officers on board: Captain Savitski, the political officer Ivan S. Maslennikov and second in command Vasili Arkhipov. All three were authorized to launch the nuclear torpedo if they agreed on it unanimously. At that moment, a heated discussion began in which Arkhipov was against launching the torpedo. In the end, the commander convinced his superior not to initiate a nuclear war on his own, to surface the submarine and await instructions from Moscow. That man prevented a catastrophe of terrifying proportions.
There are times in life in which there seems to be no other way out than hostility and discrepancy. However, even in extreme situations, moderation and good sense are necessary. In those circumstances, the word of the wise save’s lives, leads others to make good decisions and offers hopeful suggestions. A wise man’s good advice is a blessing to others. His influence endures throughout the years.
Ask the Lord today to help you make good use of your time and motivate you to pay heed to good advice that will make you a better Christian.