Inspiration – Part 2

“…Sing, you islands of the sea; echo back, you ocean caves…”

I have been told that I have a fertile imagination. No, I do not care to explain why. This phrase though communicates to me a beautiful image of crystal blue water, fine sand beaches and islands with caves all around begging for adventurers to explore their expanses! Is this not the dream picture we all have of a perfect “Island get-away” that we secretly wish would come true?

There is something more to this phrase and I will give it to you in two parts.

Part 1: We have described the islands, caves and sea but completely ignored the action to which they are called. “Sing!” “SING!” Who does not enjoy a beautiful voice that dares you to go back to your worries and anxiety? If anyone said “I do not” out-loud, I can refer you to some fine Nouthetic counselors.

Part 2: The purpose of their call to singing. Remember in “History Immortalized” I challenged us all to intentional, proper and encouraging photography. These Islands of the sea and ocean caves are singing and echoing the praises to a merciful God who gave his only son (Jesus), conceived of His seed, to pay a debt for my wrong actions, immoral thoughts and offensive words. God did this not for me alone, but for you too. This was not forced on Jesus either, in fact Jesus (the same Jesus that the hymn says “Jesus Saves”) said of his life “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” (See: The gospel according to John chapter 10:18a)

The sea, oceans or any large body of water ought always to be treated with care and caution. Just because of the power it has by virtue of the laws of physics does not require us to stay away from it at all times, but rather calls us to exercise wisdom and good sense when enjoying the pleasure of water. I think this caps off what we desire in these grand fantasies including islands, seas and caves a well-defined boundary that can both protect us, but reminds us to mind well our strengths and look for help in our weakness.

Oh! By the way, Jesus did die, but he is the only man to come back to life never to die again. He was witnessed by over 500 people, talking with them, eating in front of them and some touched him. Get a copy of “The Gospel according to John” or find it in a Bible sometime, read it. It is true.

Advertisement

Inspiration

Thomas A. Edison, who is hailed to be a genius, we all know to be a renowned inventor in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, once said “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”

So, do not be discouraged with a lacking of inspiration! I want to encourage you with a few insights into what a lot of people think are situations totally different from their own. That being said, I want to disclose we are human too, or at-least I am; so inspiration comes at the same rate and cost to me as everyone else.

Now I will tell you some things about myself in disclosure, however this is not “full disclosure” because quite frankly it is not necessary, nor is it going to aid this post. I do not apologize for anything about myself nor do I write this to offend anyone. I am inspired by a lot of things just as anyone else might be.

A specific time of inspiration is this; I sat in church singing from the hymn book. Yes I admit that I think about what I sing and sometimes during other events, like preaching. Sometimes these periods of thinking include inspiration, though being human they are “less often than not”.

“Waft it on the rolling tide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Tell to sinners far and wide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing, you islands of the sea; echo back, you ocean caves;
Earth shall keep her jubilee: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!”

“Okay, whatever. A bunch of stuff I hear at all churches. What is the inspiration” you ask?

“…Sing, you islands of the sea; echo back, ye ocean caves…” There is a lot more I can get into, but suffice it to say, the simple pictorial beauty in this written statement sets my mind to spinning.

I will let your mind spin and wander until Friday.