Plunging Into the Depths of Our Baptism
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
William James, a philosopher and the father of modern Psychology at Harvard University, when speaking of the waters near his home, proclaimed, “Dive as deep as you like, you will never reach the bottom.” In reading William James’ description of his nearby waters, he unintentionally spoke to my understanding of the Christian faith.
“Dive as deep as you like, you will never reach the bottom.” While we Presbyterians sprinkle the one being baptized, the depth of the spiritual font is deeper than any human could ever traverse. The depth of our baptism unites us with the ancient act of circumcision, marking us in a legal covenant with the Almighty One. Our baptism also fuses us to Jesus, as the Spirit descends on us with the same love and care Jesus received after his baptism by John the Baptizer. If we spent the rest of our lives contemplating the depths of our baptismal covenant with God, we would still not plumb its depths.
Dive deeper, and we witness the profound transformative power of divine interaction with our present existence. The Holy Spirit not only descended on the day of Jesus’ baptism but continued to instruct, inspire, and guide Jesus throughout his life, in his death, resurrection, and lifted him in his ascension. Likewise, God continues to interact with each of us through the loving movement of the Holy Spirit. We recognize the Spirit and hear its nudging care when we daily interact with God in prayer, worship, reading Scripture, and responding to God’s call to care for others through compassion and justice.
We experience even more profound depths of divine wisdom when we humbly recognize our inability to find meaning apart from the sacred baptismal font and the God who binds us to Godself in covenant commitment. The more we pursue God’s existence and commitment to us, the more blessed we become. The greatest gift is never being able to reach the bottom of God’s wellspring of love, wisdom, and grace. We are enlightened, motivated anew, and freed from meaninglessness by looking up and within, each new day.
