Under Current
Have you ever experienced rip currents?
Yesterday, a storm brewing in the ocean sent a constant barrage of unusualky high waves toward shore here in Ocean City, Maryland where we are enjoying a week of fun and sun.
My grandsons and I spent the better part of the cloudy day in the water, while their mom and grandma watched from the comfort of the sandy comoound we had created a short distance from the lifeguard chair.
The waves normally break so close to shore that surfing is not possible and boogie boarding is not fun. The reason the waves break late lies in the depth of the shoreline, which is shallow very close to shore, so the incoming wave has plenty of room to roll against the outgoing undercurrent without generating peaking whitecaps that toss and tumble their way to shore.
Yesterday was different, though. The force of the incoming waves was so strong, their own depth so great, they came in with gusto, carving up the sand, pulling more and more out toward the ocean floor, extending the shelf of shallow shoreline, giving us higher and longer spectacular crests and rolls.
As the waves hit, the outgoing under currents ripped the sand out from under us, pulling us with them, dragging all out further from shore.
The lifeguard was super vigilant, like a sentinal, ready to spring into action with each apparent danger, as one or another bather found himself or herself pulked too far out into the barrage of waves.
Looking out at the gentle roll of foamy white at the shoreline today, it is hard to believe that yesterday's waves were so powerful, swelling five feet or more over our heads, pounding us down as the next wave hit in rapid succession.
It is the same shoreline, with the same gusty winds, yet the visible presence of power is so different. Today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles provides a similar perspective on the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the forces in the world that pull us from God.
Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me." - Acts 8:24
Simon is a Samaritan. He witnesses the laying on of hands by the Apostles and wants to pay them to teach him how to do the same, to give people the power of the Holy Spirit, but Peter rebukes him, telling him he will suffer for wanting to use God to glorify himself.
While we focus on Simon and his desire to have the ability to lay hands on people so they will receive the Holy Spirit, we might fail to notice something about how we come to be filled with God's own spirit, to be in communion with God.
When we venture out into the world, we can be easily deceived by the calm and peace that seems to present itself to us, not realizing the forces and power of the under currents that can grab us and sweep us out from the safety of our shore.
We need the help of God to be able to stand up to these forces and to keep us from tumbling under, losing our breath, becoming weekened with each wave.
We learn in this reading that it is through prayer that we receive God's spirit and that is what Simon does, he prays for God's forgiveness that he won't lose ground and fall under the weight of the world.
Several times yesterday, I found myself tossed around, pulled under and flipped over, and I could tell I was close to hitting bottom when through my closed eyes, I could see the light darken. It was both fun and terrifying to lose control like that.
Through it all, I had faith that I would be able to rise up and stand, strong enough to try again.
Some may think of the Holy Spirit as a comfort, a security blanket that has power through our faith in it. They might see it as something in the mind and not a real presence. That may have been what Simon saw. He wanted to sell snake oil.
But just because we cannot see the presence of something doesn't mean it isn't there.
Today as I look at the calm water I know that both the forces of this world that can pull me down and the power of the Spirit that can lift me up are real, present and powerful.
More to come...
