Summer time in northern Michigan
08/16/2021
One of Michigan's great traditions is taking a few days each summer to go "up north." I was unable to do this last year, and it contributed greatly to my sense of gloom over the future. Having just completed my annual journey, I am weary but also refreshed and renewed.
While roaming the shores of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, I also took a break from the news and indeed the internet. That was almost as refreshing as the stiff lake breezes.
Friday night saw a particularly strong one, and as the sun neared the horizon, the waves began to rise. I watched from the beach as small craft fled to their harbor s, anxious to escape the chop. The light began to fade, and lake surface went from blue to deep purple. The horizon was blurred and then disappeared completely.
Sitting there, watching the whitecaps in the gloom, I was reminded that in the Bible, the sea is a symbol of chaos. It is the opposite of order, which God favors.
God can tame chaos, and calm the sea, and He does so repeatedly in scripture in order to demonstrate His power. Puny humans, however, can do nothing but flee to shore or pray for deliverance.
After months of growing political turmoil, I found it strangely calming to be buffeted by 30+ mph winds because I knew that no king, prince or president could match the power before me. At such times, their endless plots and intrigues fall to insignificance.
That is something we should always keep in mind.