One morning last winter, I discovered how stunning a New England beach can be in January. As I gazed down from the snowy edge of a sand dune, the water seemed like a huge sheet of cobalt glass stretching out before me, mirroring an equally flawless, porcelain-blue sky above. Not one wave stirred, not one cloud wandered by. Sea and sky appeared to have reached some grand agreement or bond with one another. All I could think about was the presence of God.
It can happen to anyone. At some moment in an otherwise ordinary day, we might suddenly feel connected to something greater than ourselves—something all good and deeply spiritual. Even an honest yearning to feel such a bond could hint at the very presence of the infinite. The fact is that right now we are in a sacred and timeless relationship to God—a bond older than the earth itself, yet ever fresh and unfolding. In the Bible, an ancient psalm attributed to Moses reads: “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Ps. 90:1, 2).
According to one dictionary, part of the definition of the word bond is “a uniting or binding element or force.” It can also mean an unbreakable covenant or pledge, as in a marriage. The word suggests strength and durability—an unyielding power—such as the bond of affection a mother has for her child.
