Sea To Shining Sea!

In the first Messy Church Book, Unit 15 describes the background to Bible Seasides as:

"In the Bible, the uncontrollable nature of the sea is traditionally associated with the powers of chaos and evil and the symbolism of moving through chaos into order.  This is evident right from the very beginning of time, when God created everything out of the chaos of and earth that was 'barren, with no form of life...  under a roaring ocean covered with darkness ' (Genesis 1:1-2).  Again, in Exodus we find order rising out of chaos as Moses leads the Israelite out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and into the promised land (Exodus 13:17-14:30)."

I don't know about you but the words used are very visually powerful.  I can identify with life being full of chaos and calm, like a sea. 

I can imagine chaos crashing like giant waves, all around feeling like there is no end in sight.

I can think of "everyday" as a sea with little waves moving you along.

The calm sea is frightening to me, nothing in nature should be that still.

I like surfer waves:

These waves can be "tamed".  They can be scary but if you have the knowledge and the physical stamina you can enjoy the ups and downs.  You can feel the pattern and life of the wave, making order out of chaos.

The sea is amazing.  There are places of the oceans that no human as seen.  Animals that we haven't found yet.  Creatures that could not survive outside of cold waters, and some that would not survive if they left warm waters.  Some marine life thrives on waters that are almost boiling and full of toxins.  

We are like those animals.  We thrive in certain environments and some we are there simply because that's where we were born.  We are made to be different, but can have similar situations.  

You might not like the surfer waves.  You might like the rolling crashing thunderous waves.  Or that's just where you are.

I'll say it again, the sea is amazing.  Creatures can be amazing.  Creatures work better in an ecosystem, an ecosystem that lets other beautiful creatures coexist with one another like a coral reef.  

You are welcome here.