Whatever happened to the good ship Pelicano?

By John Stallings

I remember it like it was yesterday.

The year was 1986, and after a long hot summer, the city of Philadelphia wanted to get rid of its trash. Orange rinds, beer bottles, day-old newspapers, junk mail, aluminum foil, chicken bones, cigarette butts, dead batteries, coffee grinds, half-eaten hot dogs, tin cans; it was trash. Like all trash, it was the refuse of everyday life, collected door-to-door and trucked to an incinerator in Philly’s Roxborough neighborhood. It was to be carried away into a black whole, or at least into New Jersey.

Oops! It didn’t happen that way. I5, 000 tons of trash was packed onto a ship, the Khian Sea, for disposal, but at one port after another the ship was turned away.

The 466 foot ship roamed the Caribbean, sailed to Europe, Africa, and Asia. It changed its name twice, was sold, switched its flag, dumped some ash on a third world beach, and some in the ocean.

In 1988, more than two years after it left Philly, the ship, now renamed Pelicano arrived in Singapore. It had been rejected by Puerto Rico--Haiti--Bermuda---The Dominican republic---Honduras---Guinea-Bissau—The Netherlands Antilles, among other places. Its career of rejection had only just begun.

Someone said, “Most of the Philadelphians who created the garbage, have preceded it into the ground and their refuse has seen far more of the world than they ever did.” To say the least!

In its illustrious career, the good ship’s manifest was changed from “incinerator ash”, “general cargo”, “bulk construction material,” to “top soil fertilizer.” At one point the ship returned to Philly but while it was anchored in the Delaware River, fire destroyed the pier. It left the dock there, violating Coast Guard orders to stay put, and became an international fugitive, because its radar and sonar were not working and its hull was covered with barnacles.

Next stop -Yugoslavia, for repairs; then Senegal, - Sri Lanka, - Indonesia, and the Philippines. Get the picture? Nobody wants this ship.

As late as 2000, 14 years later, the ship anchored off Stuart Florida, still holding most of its payload; 2,050 cubic yards of ash. To say the least, this is no ordinary yarn. It is a peculiar, bizarre, weird and pitiful, yet true story.

The question has been asked “what ever happened to the good ship pelicano?”

I must confess, I don’t know. What I’ve shared is, by far, not all the saga of the Pelicano; it just happens to be some of what my research has been able to uncover. Once in the early eighties, I did see a video of the loaded ship, sailing down the Florida coast. The ship that sailed the seven seas in search of a resting place for Philadelphian’s garbage, most likely ended up somewhere in India, recycled for scrap metal and today is in a car somewhere in the Far East, that is, if it even exists.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS; ---GARBAGE ISN’T A DESIRABLE COMMODITY. IT’S NASTY AND HAS A HORRIBLE ODER.

Garbage has another synonym in our day, and we use it often when we talk of evil speaking; It's

GOSSIP!!

Because of mans fallen, corrupt nature, gossip and evil speaking are a constant problem. The old nature delights in hearing and spreading gossip and it’s not something just done by women. Men are just as guilty of gossip.

Though the word gossip doesn’t appear in Holy Writ, the Bible has much to say about it, calling it,

• “Backbiting,”
• “Busybodies,”
• “Evil speaking”
• “Slander”
• “Talebearer”
• “Tattler,”
• And whisperer.”

LET’S SEE WHAT GOSSIP IS NOT!

TELLING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, TO THE PROPER PARTY, FOR THE PROPER REASON, IS NOT GOSSIP!

It wasn’t gossip in 1 Cor.1:11 for the household of Chloe to tell Paul about the problems in the church at Corinth. As the founder of that church, Paul had every right to know about those problems.

It isn’t tale bearing to speak privately to a Pastor or Sunday school teacher about matters concerning church member’s lives that they should know about, any more than its gossip to talk to a mother or father about matters affecting their children.

It wasn’t gossip for Paul to remind Timothy that the Cretans had a poor national character when he described them in such harsh sounding terms as “liars, evil beasts” and “slow bellies” in Titus 1:12, quoting one of their own poets. It was true, and his motive wasn’t to hurt them but to help them, v 13, “That they become sound in the faith.”

It isn’t gossip or slander to speak the truth in love regardless of how harsh the truth might sound. I have often had to warn people about serious problems with certain churches and conversely, warn churches about certain people. This, when done correctly, isn’t gossip or slander as long as the information is true and the motive is to help, not hurt.

Telling the right person the truth in love is not gossip.

CONFRONTING A QUESTIONABLE TEACHING ISN’T GOSSIP.

It’s never wrong to question, in a humble and Godly manner, a teaching that doesn’t seem to square with what we know to be the balanced teachings of scripture. Truthfully, it is incumbent on us as Christians to do just that. We must first guard against critical attitudes and spirits and be sure our love level is up, not going around the community criticizing and spreading “hearsay” that we know little or nothing about. However, if we’ve been exposed to a teaching that isn’t squarely founded on the Word of God, it behooves us to not to swallow it, “no questions asked”. Ministers have godly authority but aren’t Popes and, shouldn’t be followed blindly.

However, it’s never wisdom to air questions in public, but rather in private settings; unless questions are asked for in a public forum.

In 11 Timothy 2; 23 Paul tells Timothy, --But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.--Also see……. Acts17:11 and 1Thessalonians 5:21.

I have known hundreds of sincere Ministers through the years, and none of them would resent, at all, someone coming to them privately with an open, teachable spirit, with any scriptural question they may have, as long as it wasn’t presented with an argumentative attitude. A wrong spirit will cancel out the good we may be seeking to accomplish.

Only a man who would seek to “Lord it over Gods heritage” would resent a person who came to them with a gentle, honest approach. Paul said in 2 Cor. 1:24, ---Nor for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

WARNING OF SIN ISN’T GOSSIP.

Marking false teachers and compromisers isn’t slander or gossip. Several times in I and 2 Timothy, Paul warned of false teachers.1 Tim 1;20---2 Tim.1:15 –2:17 –4:14-15 --4:10. Slander is spreading ill-founded untrue things about others with intent to injure them.

In Romans 16:17-18, Paul says, now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ; but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.


ADMONISHING EACH OTHER ISN'T GOSSIP.

Proverbs 27:5-6 says, Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

In Rom.15:14, Paul says, --And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

In Heb.3:13, the writer says, --But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.In Hebrews 10:24, the writer says, --And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

WHAT IS GOSSIP?

Leviticus 19:16 says, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor; I am the Lord.Proverbs 11: 13 says, --A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Proverbs 20:19 says, He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Proverbs 16:28 says, --A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.


Proverbs 26:22 says, --The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Psalms.15:3 says ---God blesses he that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doeth evil to his neighbor nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.

Proverbs 10:18 says, --He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

Numbers 14:36-37 says , “ And the men which Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the lord,”-

Jeremiah 9:4-6 says, Take ye heed every one of his neighbor and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbor will walk with slanders ;and they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth’ they have taught their tongues to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Second Thessalonians 3:11 says, -For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies.

I Tim.5:13says, -And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to
house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies speaking things which they ought not.

1 Pet.4:15 says, But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in others men’s matters.

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING.

I’m going to give three statements and ask you to tell me what they all have in common.

# ONE---A schoolteacher speaks out in class to one of her sleepy ten year old students and says, “Johnny, wake up back there son or you’re going to fail this class. I know your mother and dad have been drinking and quarreling all hours lately, and you’ve not been able to get much rest, but you have to stay awake and start listening.”

# TWO. ---A doctor is at a party and as he sips a glass of wine he says, “You people all know Mrs. Jones? Well she wouldn’t sleep so well tonight if she knew what I know. Her test’s have come back, and looks like she has cancer.”

# THREE. ---A Pastor who’s chairing his annual church business meeting says, “Folks, Brother Jones and his wife are having serious marital trouble and it looks like they’re going to soon divorce; so he’s withdrawing his name to be voted on for deacon this year.”

What do these three statements have in common?

That’s right. They may be (are) true, but any person with any heart at all would agree that to say those things publicly would be terribly heartless.

The people who said these things could never excuse themselves by saying, "well, it’s true." --Yes, but the truth telling is totally out of place and inappropriate and what they’ve done is cruel and thoughtless.

We feel in our hearts that a person should be given some modicum of right to privacy. OR do we?

THE PSALMIST SAID; KEEP BACK THY SERVENT ALSO FROM PRESUMPTIVE SINS. PSALM 19:13.

#---WORDS HAVE A POTENTIAL FOR MUCH GOODNESS BUT CAN ALSO BE CONTAINERS OF POISON.

We often take what we say lightly, God never does.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:29,--- let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister Grace to the hearers.

Think about that: a thing has to be more than merely true, it must first be edifying.

Then Paul goes on to say something even more amazing: he says our words must be “ministers of Grace.”

Since the ninth commandment forbids us to bear false witness against our neighbor, (along with murder, stealing, and adultery) then why do we gossip?

JEREMIAH AND JESUS GAVE US THE ANSWER; THE HEART OF MAN IS SO DESPERATELY WICKED THAT IT CAN’T BE UNDERSTOOD. ----Jer.17:9


JESUS SAID--- NOTHING WE COULD PUT IN OUR MOUTHS COULD BE AS POISONOUS AS WHAT THE HUMAN HEART MANUFACTORS.---Matt.15:11

Put these two statements together and you have a shocking reality; unregenerate hearts are creators of poison.

COULD IT BE THAT GOSSIPS ARE VINDICTIVE COWARDS?

Let’s examine it. Let’s say we wanted to hurt someone without being held accountable for it. After all, if we walked up to the person we wish to hurt and punched them in the face, we’d be jailed for it. But by gossiping about the person, we can achieve the same results and no one can touch us.

Let’s say we are envious of a person because they are doing better than we are financially. We can’t bear for someone else to have a bigger house or nicer car, a greater inheritance, or smarter children. How can we bring them down? We can’t steal their savings or burn their house or cause their kids to be less smart. We can only gossip, and if we’re “lucky” we can bring them down. Maybe, with some luck we can bring them down to our level or even below us. What a “Triumph!”

But let’s say we do none of this. We don’t gossip, and if gossip is going on, we only listen and keep our lips buttoned.

Leviticus five says that-- to hear evil speaking and not denounce it is to be guilty of it.

Malachi five says that…… God will bring swift judgement on a false witness {talebearer}.

Ancient Israel was totally horrified at a false witness, and made sure they knew what damage they were doing and also made sure they were punished.

THERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS WE SHOULD ASK WHEN WE HEAR GOSSIP.

1. WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS?
2. HAVE YOU TOLD THE PARTY BEING DISCUSSED WHAT YOU’RE TELLING ME?
3. CAN I QUOTE YOU ON THIS?

A story was told of a lady who came to her Pastor's home weeping bitter tears for a story she’d heard and passed on, thinking it was true. When she learned that it wasn’t true she promptly hurried to the Pastors home and explained that she was horribly wrong, and was willing to do anything necessary to make amends for passing along the untruth. The Pastor readily accepted her apology but asked her, since she was being so nice, if she’d do something for him. He went to the back room and brought out a large feather pillow, and went to the window and pointed outside to a large mountain. He asked the lady if she’d mind taking the pillow to the top of the mountain, cutting the pillow and letting the feathers fly into the wind.

The lady was overjoyed at the prospects of doing something to help make restitution for her passing along the untrue story. As she started to leave the Pastors home, he asked how long it had been since she had told the unfortunate story. The lady had a puzzled look on her face, but explained it had been about a week. The Pastor the asked her, if about a week after she had released all the feathers in the pillow, she’d go back to the area and gather all the feathers, put them back into the pillow and bring it back to him.

Obviously the stunned lady got the point; there was no possible way for her to ever get even a small percentage of the feathers back into the pillow case. Sadly, that’s exactly what had happened with the untrue story she passed on. A bell can never be un-rung.

The story also includes that the people in that church were exceedingly careful of the things they said from that day forward.

ECCLESIASTES 10:11 SAYS, “SURELY THE SERPENT WILL BITE WITHOUT ENCHANTMENT: AND THE BABBLER IS NO BETTER”

THERE’S ANOTHER STORY-LINE IN THE SAD- SAGA OF THE GOOD SHIP PELICANO.

It’s the sad story of a ship, laden with toxic trash that could find no home, and no rest. If you, like the good ship Pelicano, have been roaming the world looking for a welcome harbor, haven’t you been carrying that load of sin long enough?

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, --Come unto me all ye all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Evidently, the Pelicano never found safe harbor, but your story can be different. You need search no longer, for someone is searching for you.

HE SAYS, ---BEHOLD I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK: IF ANY MAN WILL HEAR MY VOICE AND, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME.”----Rev.3:20.

John