Article April 19, 2004 Issue

Through a spiritual lens— CATHEDRAL OF THE SEA

Paul Shippey

Beauty is often found in the most unexpected places. So are peace of mind and spiritual exhilaration.

But I was more than a little surprised one evening to find all three under the Manhattan Beach Pier, Los Angeles.

It's nothing out of the ordinary as piers go. It's stable. Reaches far out into the Pacific Ocean. It's good for fishing. Ideal for walking. In summer I swim past the end of it several times a week as I go about my triathlon training in the company of fellow athletes and dolphins.

On this occasion, a beautiful sunset swept the sky. I walked under the pier to get a different perspective. The sun caught the waves as they crashed between the massive pylons. Shafts of salmon-colored light poured through two tall openings at the ocean end as if through stained glass windows. The roiling water sounded like a full diapason on the organ. Two pink rays trembled on the gleaming sand at my feet.

I paused in amazement and raised my camera.

For a few moments I had it all. Beauty. Peace. Exhilaration. My own cathedral of the sea.

Paul Shippey

Manhattan Beach, California

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