The Sea of Faith

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:12-14

And I saw a shoreline on the Sea of Faith. Not an open spot could be seen such as it was overcome by the number of men. All of humanity stood upon the miles and miles of shore. But there in the waters..just about waist high..stood a man proclaiming salvation to all mankind by Christ, proclaiming freedom from sin and eternal life with the Father. In those shallows, all around him, stood a smaller crowd waiting to be baptized by this man..A crowd that had realized their lost estate while up upon the shore.

As each one passed through the arms of the man baptizing, I saw Him whisper something in each ear and point across the waters to what seemed a never ending sea. Some look briefly in that direction and then begin to wade around in the shallow waters.. enjoying the cool relief from the heat of the shore. Others begin to swim in the direction that was pointed out and the waters seem to teem with swimmers swimming out to sea. Here in this crowd there arose some sort of confusion. The lifeguards have come out by the dozens and a few of them seem to be showing the swimmers how to swim..how to pace themselves. They talk to the eager swimmers and then point to the same place on the horizon and tell them to go. Then there are other lifeguards who seem to be turning people back towards the shore, talking of deep waters and impossible distance.

It’s at this point that I paused and wondered..what is everyone swimming towards? What was the man who was baptizing pointing at? As I turned my head to look across the sea, I began to see another shoreline in the far far distance and, fixing my gaze on its beach, I could almost make out a man, standing on the shore looking out across the vast sea. It is then that I realize that they have all been tasked to swim to this man.

Those listening to the lifeguards who pointed back to the beach, are now swimming parallel to the shore..comforted by the fact that they can stop swimming at any time and their feet touch the bottom. These lifeguards have assured them that the deep is too dangerous, the distant shore too far, and that, if anyone needs to know anything about the distant man then they need only ask the lifeguards, and they will tell them. But for now, just enjoy the shallows.

Not everyone is doing this though. There is now a group approaching the edges of the shallows where it starts to become deep. Some slow and begin to tread water...trying to decide if they are going to keep swimming. This is now going to be a swim of faith..no ground underneath to rest your feet upon. Some decide the risk is too great and turn back, but some take a deep breath and swim into the next wave.

Here I began to see all different kinds of swimmers...some fast...some slow...some with great swimming ability..and some just barely keeping their head above water but they are all swimming in the same direction...towards that distant shore.

The distant shore...I now start to realize just how far away it is and as I do, I begin to see small little heads swimming through the waves..miles ahead of the others. Were they there before and I’m just now seeing them? They are very few compared to the group behind them and their appearance and strokes are so very different. These swimmers are weather beaten..they’ve been swimming so long. Their bodies carry the scars of many storms that had cut their flesh with floating debris. Their muscles, broken down and rebuilt hundreds of times over, have become lean and strong and now slice through the waves with confidence. Their eyes seem to glow as I see that they are fixed on the opposite shore and the hope of meeting the man standing there. They no longer look to the left or right like those who are behind them..the ones who seem to stop swimming each time a large wave rolls towards them. No, these swimmers are now in the deepest waters where sharks are a constant reality. They know that to stop would be to die so they keep swimming.

I can’t help but physically feel the heart of these men and women and cheer these swimmers on! They are fighting the waves that are enormous and yet, keep advancing towards their goal. What heart! What courage!

I look again to the man on the shore and then realize something both wonderful and tragic all in the same moment.. and it almost makes my heart break. Those who have swam the furthest from the now distant shore are still an impossible distance away from the final shore.

I begin to realize that even the closest swimmer isn’t going to make it to the man..the sea is just too vast. The weather beaten, strong and lean muscled swimmer is going to drown before he can reach the far shore. There are no lifeboats in this sea. There are no buoys to swim to for a rest. There is nothing but the next stroke. Were it possible for him to swim ten thousand more strokes, he still would not make it and now, as I look into his eyes, I see that he understands this truth as well and yet he keeps swimming. He keeps swimming with the look of hope even though there is no hope of making it. He keeps swimming with endurance even though the distance is impossible and then I understand in that moment, this was never about reaching the other shore, This was about obedience and swimming towards the Savior. This was about love. Love because the Savior never left the shore..He stood and watched, encouraging His swimmer to take one more wave. As long as his eyes were fixed on His gaze, the swimmer kept swimming... kept trusting. Each one, at first, thought they would get to the other shore but the deeper they got, the more they understood they would never come to the end of the sea of faith..this would be their whole life.

You see, the Sea of Faith is our life long journey. This is the deep we were meant to swim in...not the shallow. The shallow is only where we are introduced to the person of Jesus Christ. Not even the strongest swimmers can tell you how they got so far. The waves WERE too big, the winds much too strong for them. But what each swimmer didn’t see is that the whole time they were swimming they were being helped along...pulled along during the storms...by the rope of the Spirit. Jesus was always watching, always keeping the line taught...always taking up the slack...ready for that final moment when his swimmer gave up their last breath. And at that very moment, the Lord Himself...with His mighty hand...pulls him the rest of the way. He Himself does the work you couldn’t and He worked through your determination...your endurance...you’re complete denial of everything in life. It mattered not how far you got in the sea of faith but that you were moving ever increasingly away from the shore and towards Him. Those that stayed in the shallows weren’t looking at the Savior on the distant shore..they only wanted the benefits of the refreshing water. They wanted their own safety and security. But that’s not faith..the shallows eventually push them back up on the shore as the waves rolled in and there never was a change in their status.

We must swim out of the shallows. We must not lose hope when we no longer feel the bottom. We must remember as we swim...as we fight the waves and storms ... as we strive to bridge the gap.. the Savior upon the distant shore is our lighthouse. He is our strength when we grow weary. He reminds us daily: “Don’t stop. Don’t let down. Don’t look back. Keep your eyes on Me. You MUST continue to the end. Don’t stop to rest. Your forever rest is your final reward!”

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”

Hebrews 12:1

"...Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end." John 13:1