Mario Salcedo is living what many consider to be a dream life. For the past 25 years he has lived on cruise ships; he’s not one of the crew, but a passenger. Recently he was recognized by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines for his 1,000th voyage with them. He spends about 5 hours per day working (an article in the New York Post described him as a businessman), and the rest of the day he relaxes.
Salcedo’s lifestyle comes with a downside, however: “I’ve lost my land legs. I’m swaying so much I can’t walk in a straight line. … I’m so used to being on ships that it feels more comfortable to me than being on land,’ he added.” This is normally not an issue since he is rarely on land. The last time he left a ship for an extended period was during the COVID crisis.
Mal de débarquement syndrome is the condition that Salcedo has to deal with, the feeling of the land swaying and heaving when stepping onto land from a ship. Usually the syndrome is short lived, but for some it can last for long periods of time. The human body adapts to changing environments. We suspect astronauts likely have similar experiences after living in zero-gravity conditions.
Christians face a similar challenge when we relocate our lives. Paul noted this “disembarking” from the earth in Colossians 3:1,2: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” In Christ our focus is shifted from earthly priorities to heavenly ones. And that can be disorienting for a time.
In Philippians 3 the apostle spoke of things that once meant everything to him: “… of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee …” (Philippians 3:5). But when Paul stepped out of the worldly domain into the heavenly one, a change in values took place: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).
Losing our “worldly legs” is a process, and as noted in Colossians 3:2 it requires setting our “mind on things above, not on things on the earth”. If we’re not careful to do that (through regular Bible study, prayer, worship, and service), we make ourselves vulnerable to the allurements of this life. It can happen to us just as it happened to a former coworker with Paul: “For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10).
One must have strength to be a disciple of Jesus: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). Worldly legs won’t support us on such a journey. Walking in the heavenly domain requires legs strengthened by the Lord Himself.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2025, Timothy D. Hall
