Living on the coast, I have had to learn about riptides.  Especially with our tidal swing here in the Golden Isles. The response to being caught in a riptide is somewhat counter-intuitive. You can’t fight it. Well, you can, but you will lose, and likely drown. Instead, you are to go with it, and then swim perpendicular away from it until you’re out of it. Then you can swim back to shore. Most of us would naturally want to fight the current and end up wearing ourselves out.  

This week’s Lenten theme from the Way of Love is “Turn”. Mother Becky preached a wonderful sermon asking us to consider where we might have something we might need to turn from in our lives, that allows us to turn back to God and God’s ways. Like most parts of our spiritual lives, it sounds easy enough, but is actually difficult in practice. We’re not always wired this way.

The goal of a Christ-centered life is to live with Jesus’ love in our hearts, on our minds, and inspiring our actions. There’s no way we can do this successfully on our own. We require God’s presence and the strength that comes from it. Turning back to that strength is part of what Turn is all about. Mother Becky also connected this reality to our Baptismal Covenant during our Coffee Hour Conversation. Like our baptismal covenant reminds us through our repeated response, we can do these things, “with God’s help.”

The Episcopal Church’s “little book of guidance” for Turn references priest, author, and theologian John Westerhoff’s comparison of relying on God to floating. Most of us aren’t good at floating, in practice. We have trouble letting go, and end up struggling to swim. When we find ourselves in trouble in the water, depending on where it happens, swimming will only wear us out faster and could cost us our lives. Those who manage to relax and float with the current stand a better chance of survival, just like breaking out of a riptide current.  

The faithful life is, in some ways, like floating. Floating doesn’t mean we aren’t retaining any control or are becoming passive.  What it does mean is letting go and cooperating with what God is already trying to do in our life. We can’t fight all the currents we encounter. Sometimes we must go along and trust that God’s got us, and that with God’s help we can do whatever the moment requires.  

For some of us, the truth of Turning may just be letting go of the courses we are insistent on following and turning back to the flow that may be trying to pull us in another direction. What would it feel like to float in God’s grace and love, instead of fighting as hard as we do? There is a popular phrase I’ve seen on magnets and bumper stickers that fits this idea: “Let go, and let God.” That’s actually pretty good bumper sticker theology.

Tom+

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Photo Credits:  Seashore by Carlos Caetano, and Floating in the Sea, by imageegami via dreamstime.com subscription