A Time for Baptism
We were in need of a vacation–not simply time away on the beach, but a refreshing change that would nourish our souls. Time away from my hurried pace and regular rhythms reminds me that I was made for another world. It allows me to glimpse life beyond the noise, hustle, and tragedies that fill the world and airwaves. Creation and rest beckon me to accept that I am more than the work that I do, the email inbox I check, and the laundry list of to-dos that I attend to daily. I could not help but think about those for whom vacation is only an unattainable luxury or a dream, and the horrors of their lives are too much. I prayed for them.
Freshly forty, I stood at the ocean during the morning before our return home. As waves washed over my feet, I remembered my baptism that took place thirty-two years before. Some make a theological argument that baptism is not a private matter, but it is a public means of grace whereby we bear witness to new life and its possibilities within Christ and community. We proclaim new life through water. So, I write today to make public what I did in an impromptu moment on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
As the waves embroidered in doily-like lace rushed towards me, I stood still. I sunk deeper into the doughy earth. The sun beamed beyond the clouds. My soul and melanin glowed. The melodious blackbirds sang hymns.
I confessed that I had not lived faithfully in ways that were loving to God and neighbor. I confessed to the One who forever washes away our transgressions–I had judged, grown cold towards some, spoke out of turn, was forgetful, self-centered, lacked compassion, and told lies to myself and others. The Creator who called the waters into being washed over me. That which I had held onto, some of which had sullied by soul, I let go of and it was carried back into the waters.
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin? I do. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? I do.*
I will not always get right being the person who I aspire to be, but I will commit to be her with God’s help. I find it astonishing that we can hold onto things, stories, and people for so long that we forget that we have imagined unbreakable links to them in our minds. We may tell ourselves that these are a part of our lives and will forever be a part of our stories. Yet, baptism, neuroplasticity, the Apostle Peter, and Oprah proclaim that it is possible to renounce old patterns and acquire new and better ones—measures that increase our wholeness.
What is hindering you from greater goodness? What has been taking up mental/emotional/physical space that you have grown accustomed to its presence even though it is negative/toxic/preventing you from loving yourself and others more fully? What/Who is creating more hurry and taking time from what brings joy to your heart?
Whether you stand on the shores of waters or sit with your tears in a car, there can be a washing away. We do not have to wait for new years or getaways, but the One who created us invites us to let go of that which holds us captive or takes up more space in our minds than it should. There is too much beauty to behold to be occupied with that which holds us back from relishing it. Remember your baptism. Remember the Holy Spirit will empower you to live anew–even when some days you may think about the old.
Cheers to a new year, decade, and opportunities to live more abundantly.
“So you may fall in love again and again with the beautiful. And may that enchantment keep you from the captivity of despair and usher you into dreaming. In your beholding, may you become a faithful protector of every person and piece of creation. Go in peace, to pay attention. Amen.” -Cole Arthur Riley
