Fish in the Ocean

The ocean, though separated by regions, forms one single ocean, and in it is the home for such an uncountable number of marine life. If we were this fish in this picture, would we not feel so small in this seemingly unlimited body of water we can never ever completely explore? Would we not feel so insecure being constantly on guard about the preys that might suddenly sneak up on us and catch us unaware? Water is our home. If we were to swim to the Pacific, water is what would be constantly surrounding us. If we were to swim to the Arctic, water is surrounding us. No matter which part in this 70% of Earth we are in, water is always around us and there is no way we can swim to a spot that is void of water.

With the same concept of this fish in the ocean, always and forever surrounded by water (so long as it lives and dies in the ocean, never leaving it), we can understand our relationship with God. He is always surrounding us and all of His creation. He and His creation cannot be separated; forming a relationship that cannot be severed. How may a gift be independent of its giver, a child of its mother, or a piece of paper be disconnected and without relationship with its tree? Since the presence of the Creator is in the Creation, so we, like this fish, are constantly surrounded by the holy presence of God. Where can we run from Him? We can only ignore Him and try to convince ourselves He is not surrounding us as best as this fish tries to deny it is surrounded by water. 

Psalm 139 Verse 7-12

Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 

If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (in Hebrew, means the place where those that had died were believed to be congregated), you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night", 

even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.

There is nowhere we can run from God. We have to recognise this and acknowledge His presence. God is not a concept vastly distant and a subject for the Theologians. He is real and concrete. We do not need to look far and wide in the search for visible evidences of His presence. If we acknowledge Him as God and want always to dwell in His presence, we need  to just think of ourselves as this little fish in the magnificent ocean and God as the "water" that surrounds us completely and continuously.

Story of the fish from Fr. Ponnudurai,S.J. during retreat

30 September 2010

12.03am