Images of The Sea as the Heart of God

Written on: August 10, 2015

I’d been mesmerized by the ocean since retreat began. My waking thought one morning was a line of Plunkett’s poetry,

“His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea.”

That memory moved me to focus on the sea as an image of the Heart of God.

Sparkling morning seas: rollicking, playful, exuberant,

Reflect God as life-giver, energizer,

partner in my joys and daily tasks.

This image encourages me to take delight in God

as God takes delight in me,

and to rejoice in God’s creatures, including myself.

It calls me to more enthusiasm, less caution.

Tumultuous stormy seas: threatening, raging, awesome,

reveal God as tremendous might,

phenomenal force, impartial judge.

Such sheer power evokes both fascination and fear.

It causes me to reflect on the storms in my life

and my failures to love as I have been loved.

It calls me to less thrill seeking, more sincere repentance.

Luminescent evening seas: serene, immense, majestic,

illustrate God as beauty, lover, peacemaker, poet.

This image of God stirs my heart,

comforts my soul, floods me with peace.

It calls me to generous sharing, profound prayer,

wider compassion, reciprocal love.

Jet-black night seas: gently moonlit, starlight speckled or totally darkened,

portray God as unfathomable mystery,

reassuring presence, terrifying absence.

This aspect of God calls me to trust

God’s never-failing promise to be with me always.

It reminds me of the times I have been carried on the Shepherd’s shoulder.

It calls me to accompany others in their darkness,

to share my hope for a radiant dawn.

 Blessed are you, Heart of God, stirring the ever-beating sea!

Sr. Mary Karen Kelly

Sr. Mary Karen Kelly is a frequent contributor to this Blog. Her poet-heart leads us to see God and nature with new eyes. Thank you for helping us to visualize God in new ways, Sr. Karen!

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: delight in God, evening seas, God, moonlit, morning seas, nature, night mystery, Ocean