Article October 3, 2016 Issue

The peaceful eddies within a loud river

Jeff Sinatra

When one is sitting by a boisterous river, it may be difficult to detect the deep, quiet lessons that may lie just below the surface. There does not seem to be anything peaceful about a loud, rapidly flowing river. Yet even within the raging whitecaps and jagged outcrops of rocks, there can be pockets of peace and tranquility. Some areas of calm are called eddies, and they provide an object lesson for how to find peace in a seemingly “loud” material world calling out for attention.

One type of eddy is found in the currents of rivers behind solid objects, such as rocks. In some eddies, these rocks can act as a protection from the strong current, and often calm is produced on the other side of the rock. In rivers, boaters and even fish may find a sanctuary in an eddy.

Sometimes our lives can feel a bit like a noisy, rapidly flowing river in which we seem to be pulled in a number of different directions that are beyond our control. At times, we may feel as if we’re getting caught in a current, and then rapids. But it’s possible to find a sense of peace and happiness even in the midst of what may feel like turmoil. The rock of Truth provides refuge from these mortal currents of thought. As we turn our thought toward it, we find peace and health and experience the ever-presence of the all-encompassing good that is God.

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