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Watching the ocean, wondering about God

Last week I stood on a beach at the Gulf of Mexico and watched the full moon hang round and pregnant in the night sky.

In front of me, the waves of the ocean splashed quietly against the sand. All around, me millions of stars twinkled while a few children scampered and played in the dark.

I heard my own kids giggle and laugh—but I was somewhere else.

As I stood there, I thought about God.

I looked skyward and wondered what type of being could spin oceans and stars and moons — even sand — into existence.

I wondered how this world, this solid round globe that we call home, can hang in the sky, spin around the sun and serve as a home for billions of souls.

I wondered why I’m here.

I wondered about my connection to God and about my existence on Earth.

I kept asking those questions, but, honestly, I still don’t have the answer, but I kept asking, anyway.

As I stood there in awe, my youngest son squirmed in my arms. I’m not sure, but I think the waves and smell of the ocean and the night frightened him.

He seemed uncomfortable, uneasy.

I pulled him close and, softly, he laid his tiny head on my shoulders. He wrapped his small arms around me and, after a few minutes, was asleep.

And for a few minutes, Zach and I were in perfect harmony with the rest of God’s creation. There was no war, no hunger, no hatred—no pain.

There was, simply, peace.

But that moment, like so many other moments in my life, slipped away, and my son and I returned to the present.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever have another moment like those few minutes with my child, the moon and God. Heck, I’m not sure what I’ll have for lunch tomorrow.

But I am sure that somewhere inside each of us is the desire to know and understand our place in creation. Across the globe, billions of men and woman have fought and died for centuries, each trying to convince the other their God was the one true answer to a universe full of questions.

As for me, I still don’t understand God.

But I honestly believe the answer won’t be found at the end of a weapon. Instead, I believe the answers about God are more likely to be found standing on the beach, gazing at the full moon and being embraced by someone you love.

Comments

@okieprof said…
Bravo Scott, great photo and story of a great man
October 2, 2009 at 8:53 PM
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