To the Sea, I am Drawn for Refreshment and Rebirth

By Br. Bob Metell, SDB

President Kennedy once said, “We are drawn to the sea because that is where we have come from. Thus, in time that is where we shall return.” Coming from a family of mariners, Life Savers (members of the U.S. Life Saving Service and Coast Guard), Arctic explorers, and fishermen, it is no wonder why I love to spend my quiet time by the sea or a rolling river. Being drawn to the sea has been a time of solitude and reflection of life itself. It is a time to absorb the smell of seawater and the cacophony of the sounds of water crashing over rocks and the seashore. To observe the singing sounds of gulls and other sea birds. And to see the presence of the mighty eagle and osprey as they grasp our prayers, hopes, fears, and thoughts and deliver them to the One who has created all life in the universe.

The oceans, rivers, ponds, and lakes are filled with our brothers and sisters, aquatic life. They are bursting with colorful fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors and tiny, microscopic plants and animals. We have turned their homes of pristine clear and colorful life into our trash heaps. Disrespecting the beauty and life that the Great Spirit and Creator placed there for our enjoyment, recreation, cleansing, and food. Yet the seas have a way of cleansing themselves with the roar of the mighty winds and the sea's turbulence. The waves thrash away at the coastline and change the shape of the landscape. Much like God, the ocean refocuses us and shapes us into a new person in His image.

I have experienced the sea when it was still and tranquil. The stillness of the calm waters opens itself up to beautiful sunrises and sunsets with hews of pink, orange, yellow, and red reflecting off the water. Farther north, the bright colors of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights take over with hews of pink, purple, green, and blue. One can only look at it through the wonder and awe of a child seeking the mysteries of life itself on earth and what beauty and mystery lie beyond.

Like life itself, the sea can be a violent, turbulent place with raging wind and mountainous waves—a witness to the fury and turmoil of life with its many trials and challenges. I have experienced the turbulence of the sea and, at times, I thought I would never see land again. I’ve seen waves crash over the ship with people tossed about like stuffed animals. We were scared enough to be drawn to prayer with the hope we would make it out alive. As many Civil War soldiers wrote in their journals, “hours of boredom broken with minutes of fear.” In the end, our Creator calms the seas and, as He did for Noah, God sends us a sign after the flood. It could be the colors of the rainbow, playful dolphins, or a pod of orcas playing and breaching around us. Ah, the beauty of God and life itself is all around us!

I would like to close with a prayerful poem a friend sent me last year when my mother passed away—a poem that sums up life in general and our connection to the sea.

“I believe in the ocean curing bad moods.
I believe in the waves wiping away worries.
I believe in seashells bringing good luck.
I believe in toes in the sand grounding my soul.”

- Doctor Beach