on baptism (1 of 2)

I went for a walk on the beach this morning. I was in Long Beach, Long Island for the annual retreat for clergy in the Diocese of Long Island. It’s always at this same hotel; it’s always mid-week, off-season—so it’s a quiet time. Good time for a solitary walk on the beach, watching the waves roll in, again and again.

As I walked I prayed for Benjamin Orion Ababon, who we will baptize on Sunday morning—initiating him into this loving, liberating, and life-giving way that we stumble along together as followers of Jesus.

Baptism is a ritual that proclaims that the truest thing about someone is that they are beloved by God—and that God’s love is as enduring and reliable and alive as the waves crashing on the shore. And my prayer was that Benjamin would feel the love of God rolling over him, surrounding him—again and again, throughout his life. And I prayed that we who gather around him on Sunday would witness to that love.

I invite you to join me in that prayer, and to join us for this happy day!