Dark Spills: On the seas and in our souls

Gulf Oil Rig Fire

The Gulf Oil Spill has been an unfolding drama since April 20th. First there is the tragic loss of human life and then of course is the domino effect of the envronmental damage which endangers fish, fowl & flora and pollutes pristine beaches, which keeps tourists away, which has a negative impact on economies already ravaged by the worst economic downturn since the Great Depressionof the 1930s, which means trouble for you, me and this chunk of our tiny planet.

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So naturally the finger pointing begins: It's the oil companies fault, it's the government's fault, it's the contractors' fault, eco-terrorists' fault, environmentalist's fault. "Drill, baby, drill" suddenly doesn't mean "drill, bay, drill"and the CEO would like to "have his life back"  where he got a 41% increase in compensation despite the aforementioned worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s and despite the fact that 11 workers actually died. Verbage I didn't really need has entered into my daily lexicon: "Top hat", "top kill", "oil plume", "tar ball" The lingering effects of the damage will be measured not in months or even years but rather decades.

This made me think of another dark and costly spill: the one on my soul that is called sin. It contaminates the essence of my pristine soul, endanges relationships, suffocates goodwill. I play the blame game too: its society's fault, the media's fault, my family's fault, my employer's fault, the Church's fault., everyone else's but mine. The lingering effects will be measured not in months or years or decades but in eternity.

How do I stop this spill? Simply by turning to God and trusting in His love, mercy & forgivenesss. I love the Psalms because they capture every human experience but recognizes the Presence of God in the midst. Here's what Psalm 32 says of the oil spill in my soul:

" Happy the sinner whose fault is removed, whose sin is forgiven. Happy those to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit. As long as I kept silent, my bones wasted away; I groaned all the day. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength withered as in dry summer heat
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Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD," and you took away the guilt of my sin...Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just; exult, all you upright of heart. "

How long will it take to stop the spill? With regard to the oil in the Gulf, worse case case scenarios place it around December this year;  a long time indeed. But it only takes a moment to say "Lord, I confess..." for the spill in my soul to be sealed. Peace.