Most school boys and girls know the story of Captain Scott and his journey to the South Pole. Scott with four friends, Wilson, Bowers, Oates and Evans reached the South Pole on January 18, 1912. However, they learned that another explorer, Amundsen, a Norwegian, had reached the South Pole a month before them. So they were disappointed in not having the honor of being the first to reach the Pole.
Their return journey was dogged with set-backs, such as the death of Evans and Oates, the loss of their dogs, their ponies, their motors, and the awful weather conditions.
One man who kept them cheerful and hopeful throughout all their dreadful experiences was Henry Bowers. He had been brought up in a Christian home. His mother was a widow, and every morning she and Henry and his two sisters sang a hymn together, read a chapter of the Bible, and prayed. At the age of fourteen he went to a naval training school and made rapid progress. At eighteen he was first mate under the captain.
Young Henry’s mind was filled with ambition, yet doubts were there, too, until one night on deck he valued his life. Christ seemed to come to him and tell him life here was to make a great decision—to choose Christ or the world. The world seemed as nothing compared with Christ, and there alone on the deck of his ship he chose to put Christ first in his life.
In June 1910 he joined Scott’s expedition to the South Pole. His cheerfulness and Christian character shone throughout that expedition. In March 1912 he wrote his last letter. Scott, Wilson and Bowers were living their last moments in a small tent, all knowing that death was near.
“My own dearest Mother,” he wrote,... “we have had a terrible journey back... God alone knows what will be the outcome of the 22 miles march we have to make, but my trust is still in Him, and in the abounding grace of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whom you brought me up to trust in, and who has been my stay through life...”
Perhaps only a few hours after writing that, Lieutenant Henry Bowers passed into eternity to meet his blessed Saviour whom he had trusted as a young officer of 18. Bowers had seen the sinful life among some of the sailors at sea. On one occasion while in port in Australia he wrote home: “The steward has deserted; we are getting ready for sea again. I went to the city to extract the cook from jail. We are getting our new crew dumped aboard—all drunk.” In the midst of all this he was kept faithful to his Lord. He chose the better part—he chose Christ.
Have you Christ in your life, dear reader? If you trust Him as your Saviour He will take away all your sin and guilt, and not only that but He will keep you from the evil, sinful ways of the world. He will keep you, too, from the deceitfulness of your own heart. Be like young Henry Bowers — choose CHRIST!
ML-08/12/1979