Wilderness Experiences with Jesus on Ocean and Sea

by catherine | Creation Care, Ocean Wilderness, Outdoor Recreation, Scuba Diving, Sea Kayaking, Wilderness Areas

“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” ― Henry David Thoreau

The tonic of wilderness may be best felt amidst the ocean. Have you have ever gazed upon the horizon of the ocean or sea? How about losing sight of shore, or taken a dive beneath its surface? If so, you know that the vastness of the ocean’s expanse is humbling just like other wilderness experiences. The amount of space unoccupied by people is daunting to comprehend. It is “indefinitely wild, unfathomed because unfathomable.”

OCEAN WILDERNESS DEFINED

The Wilderness Act of 1964 definition of wilderness is helpful in defining ocean wilderness areas. It defines wilderness as:

...lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition… Section 2(a)
…an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammelled by man… Section 2(c)

…an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvement or human habitation… Section 2(c) …generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable… Section 2(c)
…has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation… Section 2(c)
…shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreation, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation and historic use. Section 4(b)323

OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES ON THE SEA

There are undeniable “outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreation” found in the ocean. It is a frontier God has used to speak in extremely powerful ways throughout history. With the rising trend of water recreation, many water-based sports can provide wilderness experiences. Consider how sea kayaking, surfing, stand up paddle boarding, and scuba diving, can help us encounter God in the wilderness of water!

The power and stillness that the ocean can offer is an experience with tremendous spiritual opportunity. As deep and wide as the ocean is, are the number of ways that Jesus can be exposed through creation. Perhaps what makes ocean wilderness even more significant is that a good majority of water is still “mysterious and unexplorable.”

JESUS LED SEA-BASED WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES FOR HIS DISCIPLES

To illustrate how Jesus used the sea as a tool for wilderness transformation, consider this excerpt from Christian Outdoor Leadership: Theology, Theory, and Practice:

Jesus taught along roads, atop mountains, in fields, in boats, while resting in gardens. He used adventure to produce faith. Jesus’ aim was to develop salty leaders who would be resilient to the temptations of the world. God often allowed fearful circumstances to test belief in his followers to show them nothing was too difficult for him to do on their behalf. Copying an Old Testament pattern, Jesus often arranged for his disciples to experience fearful wilderness experiences in order to grow their faith. For example, after a long and tiring day of ministry Jesus instructed his disciples to go over to the other side of the lake for some rest:

And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And he said to them, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:37-41)

The treachery of a furious squall tested their strength to the point where they thought they were going to die. Waking up in the stern of the boat, Jesus spoke to the wind, commanding it to halt its fury. The waves calmed. What an eerie experience it must have been to witness a conversation between Christ and his creation! Jesus intentionally crafted this wilderness experience to show them that, although they had every reason to trust him, they still lacked faith. Could they have learned the same lesson from a lecture hall in the Temple? Or in this case, was the classroom of the sea and the timing of a raging tempest necessary to transform their hearts? The Scriptures seem to indicate the latter to be true.

PROTECT THE MYSTERY

Recent research published by BBC entitled, “Ocean wilderness ‘disappearing’ globally”, shows that only 13.2% of the ocean can be classified as “wilderness.” There are a variety of interpretations of this, but it does highlight how “trampelled” the seas are becoming. The main human impacts are due to the impact of pollution originating on land, shipping, and fishing. It seems that much of the ocean does not fully operate in an undisturbed way. This has fueled international conversation about how conservation efforts can sustain currently unregulated waters, protecting the insurmountable benefits the ocean has on the overall health of our planet and our souls.

APPLICATION

In what capacity have you encountered God through the water? Find some time in the near future to engage in a water activity and listen intentionally to what God might be saying to you through it.
What are some biblical analogies you can draw from the ocean?
How can you help conservation efforts to keep ocean wilderness areas untrampelled by humans?