Leina - The Place of Leaping

Ka-Lae, also known as South Point in Hawaii, is a special place. Some people travel there to visit the green beach with sand almost entirely composed of the little crystals of semiprecious olivine. Other people go there to visit the southernmost place of the entire United States. Anthropologists arrive to study the oldest human settlement of the Hawaiian archipelago. Locals, just like those ancient people, come to fish. Naturalists search in the flooded brackish caves for the yet undiscovered shrimp. 

        And young people are irresistibly attracted by the cliff from which they dive down to the aquamarine ocean 40 feet beneath. Little do they know that they reenact an ancient archetype. In the oldest traditions this was one of the places from which departing souls jumped beyond this world. Clearly departing souls share something together with daring and raucous youngsters - at least the thrill of jumping. The first group dives into the ocean beneath and the other into the dramatic sunset beyond. 

     This Sunday is called Ascension Sunday. The Biblical text for this holiday is from the book of Acts. It tells a similarly strange and captivating story about Jesus departing heavenwards. Come to dive from everydayness into the thrills and challenges of this rich religious metaphor.
       And if you want to share your summer spiritual experiences, join our Summer Log.