“Bubbles of Being: Air, Life, and the Divine Breath”

This morning, I woke up thinking about bubbles. Air bubbles specifically.  I am not exactly sure why or how this image was part of my waking state, but the image has remained with me for these last few hours.

The image that come to mind are kids (young and old) playing with dish soap filled container and blowing large oblong and wavy bubbles using wands of various sizes. I can hear the giggling and laughter as bubbles land on fingers only to pop a few moments later.

The image of young children (and maybe adults too) learning to swim. That’s my first known memory…blowing bubbles in a swimming pool with my mother encouraging me on. “Blow bubbles. Blow bubbles like this,” as she demonstrated the skill with her nostrils half covered with water.

Then the image of SCUBA divers breathing 20 feet or more under the water. The regulator releases the air bubbles towards the sky as the diver exhales. Divers are also told that when they become disoriented, look for the bubbles.

The anatomy of a bubble is quite simple. It is a nano thin barrier surrounding liquid or air. It is mostly dense at the bottom of the bubble which allows for the bubble to float downward as it is pulled by the earth gravity. The idea of an air bubble resonates with me this morning maybe because physically air molecules are our foundation of life. The oxygen and two hydrogen molecules join together to become our life source. We cannot live with air.

Yet, there is another source of life that comes to mind. The Trinity, God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is the substance inside the bubble (the air). The Son is the barrier providing protection, and the Spirit is the entity that moves the air bubble through the water skyward. God is our life source. As we breathe in the Living Word, we live, and we live because we dive deep into Scripture which fortifies us as the Scripture becomes alive to us. The Holy Spirit pokes and prods us to focus on the mission of the church in the world.

What does your air bubble look like? Is it colorful reflecting the shimmering colors of the rainbow? Does it “pop” quickly? What will sustain you as the air bubble as it moves skyward?

Or maybe it is Jesus Christ, or the nudges and pokes given by the Spirit as we live into our call to be a disciple.

What is your life source?

Blessings,

Anne+