THE CAUSEWAY

One of the truly peculiar features of the place called “Holy Island” is the means by which visitors gain access to the island. Unlike most islands I have ever known, where people “connect” with the island from the mainland by means of a bridge, tunnel, or ferry, the way to get to Holy Island is by driving across a causeway that is open to traffic for only six or seven hours at a time.

The disruption is caused by the fact that the ebbing and the flowing of the tides which literally come across the causeway make it completely impassible. Every day people enter the island only during those periods when the tide is out. The rest of the time the island is cut off completely.

Day after day this phenomenon is repeated as the tides ebb and flow. Those who do not heed the tidal schedule, do so at their peril.

I can’t help but see this as a sort of parable that describes what faith is like for people who are followers of Jesus Christ. Faith, like the tides, ebbs and flows. Sometimes we feel strongly connected to God, unshakeable, and fully connected to the power of God. At other times, however, that connection seems to disappear completely, and it happens when we are not expecting it to happen.When our faith “ebbs,” we feel like we’ve become completely cut off from God and we wonder what has gone wrong.

How important it is for us to find out the tidal “schedule” that affects our lives of faith so we do not all of a sudden find ourselves cut off from the One who once seemed so close.

The tides of faith ebb and flow. It’s essential for us to know that. But it’s even more important that we know that, regardless of whether the tide is “in” or “out,” the causeway still remains in tact, keeping us connected with the One who loves us more than life itself. If we can remember that, then we will be able to live all day, every day, on the Holy Island where God has placed us, and that will always make the difference.