By Bruce Crockett of Mentor, Ohio, USA
That kingdom shall be a peaceable one and it shall be known as Zion.
A walk to the beach has certain expectations for people. For some it is a place to jog. For others it is a place to exercise and play with their dogs.
For children it is a place of discovery in the land of sand—wet and dry—water, bugs, rocks, shells, birds, wind, and sounds.
It can be a place of solitude, a place to walk, run, sit, or lie down. It can be a place for prayer, journal writing, reading, reflecting, or staring at the distant horizon.
The beach is a place to walk alone or with a friend in conversation. It is a place to walk with a loved one—holding hands, reflecting together, planning the future.
The beach and the ocean teach us once again that we cannot control God’s creation. We can wound it, we can disrespect it, we can take it for granted, or we can care for it and help it heal.
When I go to the beach, it is like visiting an old friend who is waiting for me to arrive. Here, my old friend, God, offers me hospitality and renewal watching the seagulls soar on the wind currents and hearing the bark of the seals or sea lions. I watch how they use each other for pillows when sunning themselves. A peaceful community of pelicans perches on a large rock above the splash of the waves.
The seagulls, pelicans, seals, sea lions, bugs, sea creatures that wander onto the sand, and the children all live in the moment. They know no yesterday, no anxiety about tomorrow, just the now. This is a good reminder for me: just be—just be with God.
We only have the now, the sacred moment, one after another…
Today, God, I will be still and let your waves of love and peace wash over me.
Prayer Phrase
“…the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1).
Spiritual Practice
Flowing Water
If possible, sit where you can hear water—a fountain, stream, the sea, (perhaps a recording of water sounds). Listen to the sound as you thank God for the life-giving, life-shaping power of water. Pray for God’s blessing on all the parched places of the Earth where there is injustice, oppression, violence, and disregard for life. Pray for God’s justice to be released and imagine it flowing over the Earth, restoring righteousness and wholeness. Now, get up and drink a glass of clear, cold water as you pray, “God, let your justice flow through me as a disciple of Christ Jesus.”
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.