There is a beautiful cliffside at Diamond Head Bay in Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia, where tourists are flocking to take selfies. Though it is breathtakingly beautiful, it is just as dangerous as it is gorgeous. On August 17, a 27-year-old woman fell to her death while taking a selfie on the cliff’s edge. Not to be deterred, a mere few hours later more tourists were taking selfies on the cliff’s edge!
The only way to get to the cliff’s edge is to deliberately climb over a wire fence with large signs posting warnings of the danger ahead. The warnings are impossible to miss: “Unstable cliff edge,” “No access beyond this point” and “Danger, Keep Out” are clearly marked.
Just how dangerous is it? One resident, Rona Kahn, said to Australia’s Nine News, “A wind or a stumble or anything [and] that’s the end of them because it’s sheer cliff down.” A motion by the Waverly Council stated, “There is an ongoing and justifiable concern that visitors are irresponsibly endangering themselves and others by crossing over fencing and boundary lines and positioning themselves on the cliff ledge.”
More people have died from taking selfies than you would think. A Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care study shows that between October 2011 and November 2017 there were a total of 259 deaths around the world related to selfies. A majority of the deaths were those between 20 and 29 years of age.
Rebellion or Ransom?
We live in a “look at me” society, where people are absorbed with themselves. Not only are we absorbed with ourselves, but we definitely don’t want to be told what to do, or not to do, either. Our human natures naturally rebel against all authority, including God’s. The Bible describes us this way: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)). If we don’t come to God in repentance, He tells us what our end will be. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [hell]” (Proverbs 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)).
The simplicity of salvation is beautiful and is available to all. “God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:3-63For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:3‑6)). When we put our faith and trust in Jesus “who gave Himself a ransom for all,” we discover God’s forgiveness for our sin and rebellion against Him.