Look! Don't be deceived by appearances - men and things are not

Hear now the fiery cry of William Booth, the prophet of the poor, the founder of the Salvation Army, who declared: “Look! Don’t be deceived by appearances—men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea!” These words thunder like the voice of a watchman upon the walls. They warn against the vanity of surfaces, against trusting in what glitters or dazzles, for the world deceives. What seems secure is often fragile, what seems noble is sometimes hollow, and what appears harmless may conceal destruction. Booth points us instead to the rock, the firm ground of truth and faith, without which all are cast adrift in the storming sea.

The origin of this saying lies in Booth’s tireless work among the outcast and destitute of Victorian England. He saw firsthand how appearances concealed reality: respectable men who scorned the poor were often corrupt; broken beggars, dismissed as worthless, were often noble in spirit; systems praised as prosperous were rotten with cruelty. Booth understood that true security could not be found in wealth, status, or appearances. Only those who planted their feet upon the rock—a foundation of truth, justice, and the eternal—could stand unmoved when the waves of life came crashing.

Think of the words of Christ, echoed here: “He who builds his house upon the sand, when the storm comes, great will be its fall. But he who builds upon the rock, his house shall stand.” Booth’s cry mirrors this ancient teaching. For to live without foundation is to drift in the sea, tossed by every current of fashion, greed, and pride. Appearances may deceive for a season, but when the storm comes, the false will be revealed. Only what is grounded in the rock of integrity endures.

History gives us the lesson in many forms. Consider the grandeur of the Titanic, hailed as unsinkable, adorned with luxury and praised as the triumph of human progress. Yet beneath its appearance of strength lay hubris, and in its maiden voyage it sank beneath the waves. Meanwhile, small and humble fishing boats have weathered storms for centuries, built not on vanity but on practical truth. So too with men and nations: those who stand only on appearance are swallowed by the sea, while those who cling to the rock endure.

Booth’s imagery is emotional, even terrifying. To imagine the sea is to imagine chaos: the waves of despair, the whirlpools of temptation, the storms of suffering. Without anchor, all are lost. But the rock—the unshakable foundation of faith, integrity, and eternal truth—is salvation. Booth preached this not as philosophy, but as urgent reality, for he saw souls drowning daily in drink, poverty, and sin. His words were a lifeline, cast into the raging waters, urging all to grasp hold before it was too late.

The lesson for us is this: do not trust appearances. Do not envy the glitter of wealth, nor despise the lowliness of the humble. Ask always: upon what foundation does this life stand? Upon sand, or upon rock? If you would endure, if you would stand when storms rage, then root yourself not in shifting things, but in principles unchanging: honesty, compassion, faith, and truth. These alone are the rock upon which a life may be built without fear of the sea.

And the action required is clear. Examine your life. What are its foundations? Do you stand upon appearances—status, wealth, approval—or upon what is eternal and unshakable? Strengthen your footing upon the rock: seek truth in your words, justice in your deeds, humility in your heart. When storms come—and they will—you will not be swept away. Booth’s cry echoes through the ages: “All who are not on the rock are in the sea!” Therefore, cling to the rock, stand upon it, and help others find their footing, lest they be lost in the waves.