October 10th 2011
First a flash of golden light, then cascading brightness spills across the vast ocean surface towards the windswept shore of the barrier island...It's sunrise; we throw up our arms in celebration; a new day has begun.
I begin to read from Genesis One, the national seashore of Assateague Island inspires me to share the creation story with my students for our morning devotion. I love the story, the order of events, the language and imagery explodes my imagination. "And God saw that it was good"; I imagine a loving God with an all knowing look of satisfaction in knowing what has been created is indeed "Good" and yes, perfect!
I ask my students to recall something they made, maybe in school, something they were proud of and how it felt to look at it afterwards. They begin to tell me stories of craft projects they made in middle school and when they gave them to their parents or loved ones and how it made them feel happy. Jailyne, a very engaging sophomore tells us about the canoe she made last year in Urban BoatWorks. It was a yearlong project that when she finished she launched onto the Cooper River.
She told us about how it made her feel really proud of what she had accomplished but the best part was being able to share her boat, first with her Mom and now her classmates when they paddled the western side of the Island on Chincoteague Bay alongside the Islands wild ponies. Wow! I realize Jailyne just gave me the best interpretation of Genesis One I could ask for. A verbose Old Testament scholar couldn't say it better.
Moments later several pods of porpoises, their recognizable dorsal fins surfacing as they seek precious air for the southward journey reveal themselves just beyond the surf. I tell the students, "It is Good", we all agree!
Keep on Trekking,
Jim