Into the Depths
What do you know? As I get even older, one thing I know for sure is that there is so much I don’t know. So much so that I don’t know whether I have already written about not knowing!!
So why write an introduction about ‘not knowing’? Lately, in discussion with the Leadership team and in times of Worship, it has felt as if God is saying “Go deeper. You are splashing around in the shallows and there is so much more.”
I love the sea, well water really, puddles, ponds, rivers, but especially the sea. As a child I can remember the thrill of driving through the French Alps in the summer and the amazing views of the crystal-like turquoise rivers threading through the gorges and the valleys. Just beautiful - etching our journey through the mountains. Equally, a vast expanse of grey-green sea disappearing into the gloom or the incredible ferocity as the angry elements battered the Cornish coast (where I lived for a time) is a source of wonder.
But “go deeper”. As we look at a seascape there is so much to attract our gaze; the colours of the different depths, objects on the horizon and the way in which the waters rise and swell according to the currents, invisible to us on the shore. We ‘know’ the ocean is teeming with life. We have seen nature programmes on television, seen books and articles. Even animated films where Clown fish are lost and found! All these scenarios are set in deeper waters and we ‘know’ it is all there. However, is that enough? Could we be missing out on so much that is available; things that can enrich our lives and bless us with knowledge and beautiful experiences perhaps? Don’t we want to find Nemo and live every part, feel it, witness the action for real?
“Go deeper”. I wonder if we do this in our Christian faith. We have read the Bible, we listen to speakers, read the books and the articles, watch the films and even study chapters and books together and/or individually. We pore over the words of our Saviour (as we should). But do we “go deeper” or should I say, do I “go deeper”?
To find Nemo we would have to put in some serious effort and stop that splashing in the shallows. We would need to change our clothes, learn how to snorkel or scuba dive, make the time, be fit and be prepared to immerse ourselves fully in the ocean’s coral reefs and murky depths. Crucially, we would need to believe we could find him, that he was there. We would need to believe he was trying to get to us and was probably doing extraordinary things to ensure he is found; things beyond our imagination. It would entail a journey beyond our wildest dreams, an uncovering of an underwater paradise.
I wonder if this is the same with Jesus. I am saved by grace and mercy but there are choices to be made. I need to change my clothes from that of the world, to robes of righteousness; I need to learn His ways, make time, keep fit and alert to all He offers, seek opportunities He provides and be prepared to immerse myself fully in the journey to find Him. Of course the Bible has all we need, but the book of Acts is an illustration of all that is available to you and me. An extraordinary paradise of signs and wonders available when we are living in tune with the Holy Spirit. Available when we fully immerse ourselves in Jesus. The amazing thing is that everything that the followers of Jesus experienced more than 2000 years ago is available to us. There is power and there are miracles, and crucially a saviour who is looking for us to join Him.
Let’s jump in! Let’s “go deeper”.
Blessings, Sue
September 2024