Every Monday, I meet with some friends in the early morning and walk soulfully on the beach for world peace. This practice started during Lent. We felt the pressing need to do something in a world gone mad with violence, hurtful discourse, and an alarming disregard for compassion. For one hour of silence, slowly strolling the same coastline, peace reigns mightily in our souls, and we stream that tranquility over the divine internet of grace to those in need. We do not measure success or failure, preferring to allow the Holy One to do that calculation.
The walk is silent, contemplative, and slow. This is the opposite of a power walk! Senses open, we allow the Spirit to guide our feet, as we look for signals of transcendence. The secrets of the universe unfold as waves crash on the shore, rocks clap applause, and the sun slowly cracks open the curtains of the marine layer. When on foot, found items abound: brightly colored beach toys, lost jewelry, pulverized fins, seaweed, kelp strings, driftwood, shells, and pieces of multi-hued sea glass. Childlike wonder rises with the tide.
Before these walks, in all my beachcombing during the forty-plus years I have lived here, sea glass eluded me. I envied those who found handfuls and would spread out the blue, green, and white orbs that looked to me like precious gems on velvet. Were my eyes deficient? I asked the group. No, they said, finding sea glass would take some intentional effort. First, I had to know what I was looking for and where to find it. Ah! There’s a piece of wisdom if I ever heard one. Sometimes we need to learn how to see the tiny miracles hiding in plain sight. Sometimes we need guides to show us the way.
I listened to the instructions from my wise companions. Walk intentionally. Trust. Let the sea glass find you. Look with new eyes. Be patient. Finally, one morning, Ureka! Tiny white shards appeared! Different from the ubiquitous white stones, the sea glass was smooth, flat, and opaque, a product of the tides’ tumbler. As I carefully massaged the sought-after pieces with my fingers, I felt my soul begin to soar and the troubles of the world flew to the horizon in a fraction of a second. Peace be with you, I heard. And with your spirit, I replied.
Peace be with all of us who cherish this planet and every soul who walks on it.
Seeking Wisdom 