Across Oceans

 “There’s something about touching an ocean for the first time.”- Pastor Kenny

Kenny, a pastor here in PE, was absolutely giddy when he heard that my team and I had touched the Indian Ocean for the first time.  I grinned alongside him as he reminisced about touching various bodies of water.  Is it an odd life goal to want to jump in all the oceans?  Because it’s definitely on my bucket list…I’m almost there minus the Southern Ocean.  There’s something addicting about the exhilaration of approaching an overwhelming force like an ocean and thrusting yourself against the waves as if to say, ‘Hi. I’m perfectly aware that your power and size is beyond my comprehension, but I’m still going to challenge you.”

 

Way back when, freshman year, I took an African History class. (Even though at the time I had no interest in Africa and constantly wondered why I was in the class. That’s irony for you.)  I vividly recall one class where we discussed the concept of regional gods within traditional African religion.  (I know I’m grossly over-simplifying a complex topic by summing up an entire continent full of diverse religions…but stay with me and my elementary knowledge from an introductory class five years ago.) Traditionally, in some parts of Africa gods are believed to have power within a certain area, but their supremacy doesn’t extend outside of their domain.  So you have protection from your deity if you stay close to home, but if you leave the physical region of your god…well, you’re up a creek without a paddle.

It was mentioned off-handedly in class that areas where this belief is common corresponds with areas that were heavily affected by the slave trade to the New World.  So basically, captured slaves were torn away, not only from their home and family, but also from their god.  They crossed an ocean stripped of all sense of comfort and hope.

During this class discussion it hit me: no wonder Christianity thrived among early African slaves!  Can you imagine what it would have been like to watch your god disappear along with the shores of your homeland?  Even if the message came hypocritically through your captors, it would have blown your mind to hear of a god that could be by your side, no matter what side of the Atlantic you’re standing on.

It’s a crazy notion, really. Take a second to realize what a ridiculous claim this is: Christianity boasts in a god that transcends place, culture, and time.  Traditionally, religions revolve around areas, around people groups, around people of like minds.  Christianity isn’t that.   Christianity has never claimed to be that.  We cannot make Christianity that, no matter how much we associate Christianity with a certain country or type of people. The only thing Christians need to have in common is Christ. Evidence of this: last night I, an American girl stood alongside a roomful of South Africans and worshiped a Middle-Eastern god.  Not only is Jesus a god who subjected water as a material to be walked on, but he crossed entire oceans. 

That must be the difference between fear and the excitement that Kenny and I felt at touching oceans for the first time.  Fear and excitement are strangely similar emotions.  Both have anticipation, but only one has the reassurance of hope.  Coming from someone who crossed an ocean two weeks ago, one of those emotions has a cold sense of loneliness.  The other allows you to approach the magnitude of an ocean, with the knowledge that your God is right beside you, and dare to touch it...or even, dare I say, jump in it.