Steady among the waves
AS I SEE IT
By Rev. Jim Innes
THIS YEAR'S spring season here in Grand Bend has brought both comfortably warm, mild days and bitter, windy days. Some days the waves gently lap the shore, while on other days they crash loudly. It is a season of transition, a time of natural tension, holding calm and turbulence together.
This paradox is being lived out in other ways that touch us all. On the one hand, nations, provinces, and communities are working together to address the many issues we face, including economic uncertainty, climate concerns, and violent unrest. On the other hand, horrific forces are at work, increasing global strain and eroding our sense of safety and justice.
It reminds us that our world holds both calm and turbulence, gentleness and upheaval, all at the same time. And it points to the truth that inner steadiness is not the absence of turbulence, but the ability to endure it and remain hopeful, creative, and, most importantly, compassionate.
This, in turn, raises an important consideration. If we cannot control the seasons of the world around us, nor fully grasp the forces that unsettle it, then our deepest choice is about the kind of people we will be as we face it. As Jon Kabat-Zinn wisely reminds us, “You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
Learning to surf these powerful waves is not about control but about learning to move with them. There is no doubt they shape us, test us, and reveal depths within us that calmer waters never would. And in learning to move with them, we may come to a deeper steadiness that helps us ride the waves with greater courage, balance, and grace.
Learning to remain steady among the waves is not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of those around us who are facing similar struggles. A steady spirit helps us meet conflict and uncertainty without adding to it. Beyond that, it can become a quiet, calming presence amid conflict and turbulence, helping others find greater steadiness as well.
As I see it, the practice of becoming steadier has awakened a deeper compassion in me. There are always many sides to every situation, and where we stand is shaped by many factors, including our wounds, our history, and our hopes for the future. Yet mature steadiness creates space not only to react but also to reflect and choose how we want to be.
Immediate reactivity is too often regrettable and can create more turbulence than there was to begin with. At times, that steadiness feels less like strength and more like a quiet willingness to stay present when clarity does not come easily.
Perhaps this season, with its comfortably warm days and its cooler, almost bitter interruptions, is inviting us to become more attentive to the tensions that exist all around us, tensions that do not lend themselves to easy answers. And perhaps, over time, this centered steadiness becomes one of the most powerful forces for change in a world marked by unrest.
Rev. Jim Innes is the rector of St. John's, Grand Bend with St. Anne's, Port Franks.