Yanna the prophetess was sitting under a tree praying and meditating for days and a vision surges over her like a tidal wave of overwhelming, transcendent, divine love and connection to the infinite. A mighty voice of thunder like crashing surf declares to her “I am … that I am.  You will declare this message to the world.” There are no words to describe it.  She does her best and proclaims loudly “God is an ocean!  Hear these my words and seek after God.”

Heston, a religious devotee, comes along and hears Yanna’s revelation. Heston sprints to the shore, leaps into the surf,  and gets knocked down and dragged around in the waves. Heston crawls back onto the beach  soaking wet, covered with cuts and bruises. He mutters “God is powerless in the waters or is cruel.  Yanna is a false prophetess! My robes are a torn up mess.”

Wessley, a scientist, also heard Yanna make this factual assertion. He immediately does a detailed chemical analysis of the environment around her. No molecules of ocean salt water are detected in the atmosphere or on the ground near the tree. Her clothes are perfectly dry. He writes a report explaining “Yanna the Prophetess made false statements concerning God. No evidence of an ocean was detected during her experience; therefore, it can be assumed with accuracy that she did not talk to God.”

Here lies to rest the body of our expectations, a sacrament of bread and wine, a digestion of flesh and blood.  Our Church is true and false and irrelevant.  Some of us find truths.  Some of us see lies.  Most of the world didn’t even know we were looking.  There is nothing more vital to being human, and swimming in an ocean.

YHWH is an ocean.