Co-pilot.
Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea… and sink.
~ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Remember the old bumper sticker that read, God is my co-pilot? Among the stodgy, there would be a quick retort: God’s not my co-pilot; God is my pilot! But the thing is that God never takes over full control of the vessel of our lives. God is much more interested in creating things together.
I’ve always had a thing for sailboats. Speedboats are fun, fishing boats are functional, and yachts are impressive, but sailboats… sailboats just ooze adventure. One summer just out of college my uncle let me keep his 15-foot catamaran and take it out to Lake Jordan as often as I wanted. I was never very good at it, but it definitely stoked my love for speed. On our honeymoon Kellie wisely declined my invitation to take her out on a little sunfish sailboat… where I promptly capsized!
I have blogged about sailing before because there are so many great metaphors embedded there. Most recently I’ve been reflecting on the incredible co-creative dimension of sailing. We have an essential role to play: only we can take the tiller in one hand and the sheet in the other. We—and only we—can set the course for the vessel and then use the sail to catch the wind. But of course, we cannot create the wind!
The wind is the divine element in this great partnership we call life. If the wind comes to a stop, we too come to a stop… unless we pull out a paddle and work painfully for little progress. No, we are fully dependent upon the Ruach, the Pneuma, the wind of the Spirit that Jesus described eloquently: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” The real potency of our movement belongs to God; our job is to raise the sail and catch the sacred wind!
Now a quick word about my epigraph above, which might feel a little dark: Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea… and sink. If you understand the Buddhist mindset, this is not dark at all! This is surrender to the divinity and humanity of being creatures. The sailing is glorious, and the sinking is glorious. This is not a sinking into tragedy; this is a sinking into union with the great Ocean of Being. It is the perfect blend of agency and surrender. We step into the boat. We set our course (either fighting the Wind or letting it guide us). And finally we let go of ultimate control with ultimate trust.
We are held. We are beloved. We are safe. We sink into greater Love than we have ever known.
finding our way home
Where do you find yourself in this sailing metaphor? Are you using your agency and showing up with your own strength? Are you reading the Wind and cooperating rather than fighting divine providence? Are you surrendering to our small deaths in order to find resurrection on the other side? As the Mandalorian says, This is the way!
takeaway
Take the tiller. Trust the wind.