.....your sea is so big, and my boat is so small'. This, or variations on it, is the famous Breton fishermen's prayer; often the first phrase- today's blog title- is missed out. It's struck me in times past that it's an honest statement of vulnerability, a plea for protection and safety.
But a re-acquaintance this week on retreat with the writings of Isaac the Syrian have helped me see it in a new way. This watery seventh century saint who grew up on the shores of the Persian Gulf uses the sea very often as a metaphor for God- boundless, inviting, home of great treasures.
So I can now see the Breton prayer, uttered in colder, possibly more stormy and uncertain climes, as a call to explore, rather than a request for protection. Isaac would have us 'dive in' to God, be adventuresome, discover what the sea has to offer, wonder at its constant bounty. No need to utter a prayer for protection; God is good, the sea is good, we can revel in it, even far from land, know there are discoveries to be made, even in the depths.
A boundless God invites us to explore. Shall we always paddle in the shallows?
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