Deep Dive of Faith

Photos by Kim Brunson and Rob Lyons.

Leaving the dock behind, I swim towards open sea. All around me are hundreds of tiny rainbows dancing on the sand. The water, acting as a prism, breaks the sunlight into many colors. The rainbows are mesmerizing. I pause to take in the beauty and give thanks for this special moment.

In the aquamarine water, I swim along a coral reef off the shore of Bonaire. There is a slight current I am fighting against. The sun is shining through the water illuminating the corals, lightening up the oranges, blues, greens and whites. The ferns are delicately swaying in the surf. Fish of every size and color are swimming amongst the reef. There is so much activity to observe as I float by. Nowhere else in the natural world am I able to observe wildlife so closely without interrupting their animal behavior. The fish accept me as a fellow traveler in the ocean if I move slowly without frightening them. The only sound I hear is my regulator delivering air to my lungs as I inhale and exhale. Bubbles float to the surface. It is a comforting sound. I am alone in my thoughts and I am at home.

Schools of fish swim in front of me as they cross my projected path. They move with a grace that leaves me in awe. One fish in particular is swimming along with me. He swims ahead, darts between some ferns and then returns to my side. My dark brown friend, a Bar Jack, has adopted me as a traveling partner. He continues to weave around, behind and in front of me. He seems as enthralled with me as I am with him. I wish we could talk, but maybe that is the beauty of this world. We share this place through our presence, not through anything we say. No words will enhance this friendship. And I am content to swim in peace and harmony.

There is something amazing about being suspended; buoyant in a horizontal position. A certain freedom is gained from weightlessness. Normal human movements include forward, backwards, left, and right. Diving gives me the extra dimension of going up and down. Rising and falling are tools I use to navigate. In the same way, my faith gives me an added dimension. I have a connection to the source of life, which gives me access to God’s wisdom, His strength and His goodness.

Breath is an important component to diving. As I float in this sea of water, I control small ascents and descents by my breath. I swim towards a fern swaying. I need to go over it. I take in more air and hold it slightly while I lift higher. Slowly releasing, I swim easily over the obstacle. I maintain this new depth by breathing normal. Deep cleansings breaths are taken in and out as I observe the world around. I use less air in my tank as I maintain a rhythm. I am aware of what is happening in my body as well as what is going on around me.

I continue to swim into the current. I am 50 feet below the surface. When I look up, I see the surface lit up by the sun. My bubbles continue to make their way upward. The coral reef draws my gaze back. A moray eel slides along the sandy bottom. He sneaks into a crevice and disappears. A peacock flounder rushes by quickly as it searches for a rock to camouflage itself. A school of blue tang swims in uniform as it intersects a school of yellow tail snapper. Each school continues course. The mingling confuses neither.

God says there is nowhere I can go that He can’t follow. I feel this profoundly when diving in the deep. Alone in my thoughts, He appears. It is in the quiet that I hear His voice. When no one is speaking, we communicate. I thank him for this opportunity to enjoy His amazing creation and spend time with Him. He says it is His pleasure. He never tires of being with me. This fills me with great joy. He prefers it when I am still and open to His presence. In that moment, I am one with Him and I am content.

I look at my dive computer and realize that my hour is up. As I climb into the boat, the water dripping off me reminds me that I have reentered the human realm, where gravity holds me down. This magical time has come to an end. Only for the moment though. There is always another dive. And another time with God.