Walking, wading, floating

(Lenten theme: water)
3/12/06

Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.

God, this Lenten season our community is looking to water to help us to understand the ways that we are connected to you. As I mediated on this idea this week, my thoughts brought me to a pool. When I first step into the shallow end of a pool, my feet feel heavy. As I keep wading in, deeper, I feel the resistance of the water against my body as I move. For each step I take I work harder than I would if I were walking on land. But if I keep wading in, deeper and deeper, I realize that my burden is lifted. I have become weightless, and the water that seemed to be weighing me down is now supporting me, and holding me up.

Is this a parallel for our walk with you God? When we walk with you, you challenge us. You call us to search our hearts and minds. You call us to be compassionate, to fight for the powerless and to speak for the voiceless. Sometimes, God, this walk can be overwhelming. Sometimes, God, this walk makes us work harder that we would if chose not to wade in at all. But, if we keep going, wading deeper and deeper into you, we find ourselves surrounded by you. We find ourselves held up by you, floating, weightless, because we had the faith to keep wading in.

Amen