The Maps of Life

An intriguing tale of an explorer who reminds us how important it is to have the right map!

The maps of life

Explore More

What is Margdeep?

AboutThe Chronicles

The Maps of Life

Explore the Story

Welcome to The Chronicles by Margdeep. Hope you will find this episode fruitful! Note: Please use the controls on the bottom right to maximise the screen size

Further Resources

Take a Quiz

What is Margdeep?

Margdeep is a media initiative dedicated to present the timeless truths of the Bible for today's world. What started as an audio podcast in early 2016 diversified into a multimedia presentation of gospel truths.Margdeep is made up of two sanskrit words 'marg' which means way and 'deep' which means an earthen lamp. Together the word refers to a light that guides someone on his path. In this journey called life, we often find ourselves stuck at life's junctions, groping in the dark, unable to make the right choices. We believe that Jesus is who he says he is - 'the light of the world' and trusting in him, will lead us in paths eternal.

The Chronicles series

When Jesus wanted to teach eternal truths to the audiences around him, he chooses to speak in stories. He spoke about the lost sheep, the return of the prodigal, the two builders, the great banquet feast, the servants and the talents, and many more. Stories capture our imagination and make us pause, reflect, and relate. ​ The Chronicles is a collection of stories that aims to present biblical truths through historical and real-life incidents. We take a closer look at some gripping real-life stories and present biblical teaching through them. We hope that as you read them, you too will pause and relate with the deeper questions that these stories pose.

The Maps of Life

Start

The North pole. The frozen tip of the earth far away from civilisation.

So on 8th July 1879, USS Jeannette, a propeller driven U.S. Navy steamship, departed San Francisco with 33 crew on board. They had everything going right for them. A great leader, an experienced crew, adequate funding, sky-high hopes of glory and the goodwill of a whole nation. What could possibly go wrong? Well, it was one small thing. The map!

In the 1800s, many countries wanted to conquer this elusive frontier - some for new trade routes, some for scientific discoveries and some merely for glory. But none of them could reach the pole. In 1871, the United States sent a ship named Polaris but it ended in a disaster. Few years later, another team of explorers set out to achieve what everyone else had failed, this time led by a determined captain - George Washington De Long.

By 1881, less than two years after leaving San Francisco, the ship was crushed by ice in the vicinity of the New Siberian Islands, north of Russia. George ordered his crew to abandon the ship. It sank the following day. The crew salvaged all that they could from the ship and walked on ice toward the Siberian mainland pulling their small boats and supplies. They split into teams of three for better navigation. After an arduous trek on the ice and rowing in icy waters for over 90 days, only 12 crew members made it safe to Siberia. George De Long was not one of them. He perished in the Arctic.

George De Long relied on a map that showed an open polar sea. It was widely believed that there existed a clear sea beyond the thick layers of ice on-route the north pole. Though all previous expeditions who relied on this map had got trapped in the ice, George believed that if he could make his ship strong enough and find a gap in the ice, he could get to the open seas. It didn't take long for De Long to realise that all the best cartographers, scientists, and geographers had got it wrong. The Jeannette soon ran into miles of hardened ice with no sight of an opening.

The story of the Jeannette is a tragic one. A mission that went awfully wrong because of a wrong map.

Quite often we make our own maps inspired by what others around us have done and achieved. But then we get stuck in the thick ice of life not knowing how to move ahead. So a good question to ask is - Do I have the right map of life? Will it take me home? The Bible assures us that God’s designs for our life are for good. He knows the end from the beginning. He provides a map not just to get by this life on earth but one that leads us onto towards eternal life as well.

Our life too is a journey into unchartered waters. We make hundreds of choices each day as we move on. So do we have a map to navigate? Well, we do have one; it our worldview. Knowingly or unknowingly we rely on our worldview to make our choices. Not just for trivial decisions, we bank on it to answer important life questions too: questions like - Who am I? How did I get here? How do I decide right and wrong? Do I have a purpose or meaning in life? What happens after I die?

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He is the way and he is the destination. May we choose to trust his directions because he will never leave us nor forsake us on the high seas of life.

Take the Quiz!

Now that you have read the article, its time to take the quiz to test your knowledge!

Start

QUIZ

Question 1/5

Who was the first man credited withreaching the North Pole?

Robert Peary

Roald Amundsen

Frederick Albert Cook

¡Correct!

The conquest of the North Pole was for many years credited to US Navy engineer Robert Peary, who claimed to have reached the Pole on 6 April 1909, accompanied by Matthew Henson and four Inuit men, Ootah, Seeglo, Egingwah, and Ooqueah.

NEXT

QUIZ

Question 2/5

What was the name of the fateful ship that George De Long and crew sailed on?

USSVictory

USSPolestar

USS Jeannette

¡Correct!

USS Jeannette was a naval exploration vessel which, commanded by George W. De Long, undertook the Jeannette expedition of 1879–1881 to the Arctic.

NEXT

QUIZ

Question 3/5

What is someone who prepares maps called?

Cartographers

Lexicographers

Calligraphers

¡Correct!

Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.

NEXT

QUIZ

Question 4/5

Where did the survivors of USS Jeannette finally end up before being rescued?

Siberia

Norway

Greenland

¡Correct!

After an arduous trek on the ice and rowing in icy waters for over 90 days, only 12 crew members made it safe to Siberia.

NEXT

QUIZ

Question 5/5

What key life lesson does the story of George De Long teach us?

Keep going on despite the odds

Have the right map to navigate life

Follow your heart

¡Correct!

Though a tragic story, this expedition reminds us to make sure we have the right compass & map to navigate life. Making progress in the wrong direction is no progress at all!

HOME

Further Resources

Read. Watch. Learn. Explore.

You can read the article in its entirety on our website - margdeep.com. Do check out our other resources on the website.

Read more about USS Jeannette and the tragic expedition on National Geographic

Watch a 4-minute video that summarises what is the good news of Jesus - the gospel.

Let us know your thoughts, comments & suggestions by posting them on this Padlet.

FINISH

May you have the right one!

The maps of life