Man Overboard

The,
Great religions are the
ships,
poets the life boats.
Every sane person I know has jumped
Overboard.
That is good for business
Isn’t it?
- Hafiz, Sufi Master

Some of the great ships of the world’s religions are Christianity, Islam, Jew, Hindu, and Buddhism. I was aboard the great ship Christianity for many years, with its sails hoisted, the cross on the main mask, the statue on the bow and plowing thru the high turbulent seas. Some of the symbols of Christianity are the cup, butterfly, footprints in the sand, the candle and of course the ship with all sails deployed and a skipper at the wheel. Yes, it is probably pretty similar to my blog photo. I was a member of the crew for a while, being a carpenter, I found myself in demand for repairs and refurbishing the fleet.

Many years ago, I signed on helping to refurbish a ship in port. In the process of refurbishing this ship I made a choice to sail with her, and have been sailing the seas for many years. But lately, I have started questioning some of the ideas, decisions, and found myself being disgruntled with what the teachers said were the facts. We would hear rumors, and tales, myths from far off lands or other passing ships, and I would ask questions. One of my 1st questions was, "Why am I here?" And with each successive question answered, I would find I had new question that I would ponder. I realized that I was seeking what made sense to me, what I felt was true in my being and asking some of my questions are not what ones asks or seeks aboard this ship.

If I performed a miracle as St. Benedict did, or as Jesus did, then the teachers would entertain my question, but until then, I was to do as I was instructed and know that my best interests were being watched out for. I was a novice, and as such, I did not know how to interpret the sacred text. The answers were all in the ships books and centuries of the great ships traditions proved what worked. To seek answers to my questions would jeopardize my beliefs, my eternity in heaven, and risk being alone at sea. It would be foolhardy and I must be possessed by demons, or else a heretic, and espousing heresy’s of the greatest magnitude. "I knew better," was advice given freely to me, and reprimanded for thinking such thoughts.

I kept quiet, and strolled the deck of the great ship, all the time feeling the urge to find out for myself what my truth is. On some early morning strolls, I would catch a glimpse of land thru the midst, and wonder where that strange land was, why did I feel a yearning to reach out for it, why when I looked upon it did it seem peaceful and loving. But, the great ship would not slow down, and in the bright glare of the day, the mists would lift and the land disappeared from view.

One morning, on my stroll around the ship, I again saw the land thru the mist, and this time it seemed closer, a lot closer. In the back of my mind, had been an idea that maybe I could swim for it, but that was nonsense – I knew I could not swim. But today, the land seeming so close, the fear of not trying was becoming more than the fear of trying. In an instant, my hand was on the handrail as I vaulted over the side. Was I nuts! I was falling towards the water, and as I hit, I heard the familiar cry “MAN OVERBOARD!”

And then the waves blanketed out any sounds as the water enveloped me. I knew what they were doing on the great ship, they were throwing life buoys, trying to launch a lifeboat, and trying to turn or stop the great ship. But, it all is futility; great ships at sea do not maneuver well, cannot turn, and cannot stop on a dime. The crew knows this, as I have known that an attempt to rescue at sea is more for the sake of the passengers, and it really is an effort in futility. Finding or sighting a bobbing head in the swells of the sea are near impossible, I was soon to become a number “lost at sea.”

My head broke the surface, and the swells seemed larger than I anticipated. At the top of the swell, I again glimpsed the land, and thought to myself – I had better learn to swim, and I reached out and realized I was swimming, oh quite clumsily, but I was swimming after a fashion. My mind kept saying, I can do this, and with each stroke my confidence grew and my desire to reach that land became stronger.

But what was I hearing, it was voices shouting, “I see him, over there – throw him the buoy!”

Then I saw it, it was a smaller boat, it was built for speed and the ability to turn quickly. The crew was frantically working the oarlocks to spin the small boat around, and as it drew near, I felt arms reaching out and pulling me aboard. I was informed quickly that they were from that land I had sighted, and they would see me safely to it.

As I collasped on the deck, I said, "You must think I am nuts for jumping off the great ship."
The 1st mate replied, “Quite the contrary, every sane person I know has jumped overboard seeking his truth – we've been waiting for you.
And that is good for business, isn’t it?”