the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters...

some time ago, a friend of mine shared with me that genesis 1:2 provided a striking image that she had been mulling over.


genesis 1:2 says this, "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

[image from here]

this image continues to surface in my own prayer life and spiritual reflections lately, especially in a spiritual reading through St. Augustine's famous Confessions.


for example, over the weekend, I spent time reflecting on this statement made by Augustine: "... but because your Spirit moved over the waters, your mercy did not abandon us in our misery..."


though much of my exposure to this familiar verse has been tied to the creation story, this statement evoked a new response in me -- what about a picture of God hovering over the waters with thoughtful intention pre-creation... not over the chaotic, formless earth, but over the similarly chaotic (at least to me!) and seemingly formless state of my soul. that Augustine would tie this image of the Spirit of God from the time of creation to an assurance of the Spirit's with-ness in our misery made me stop and consider that the same God who hovered over the formlessness of the beginning of time is hovering over me when I'm not sure what is being formed and shaped within me.

additionally, Augustine continues with the image in a subsequent passage this way: 

... but my soul is still sad because it falls back again and becomes an abyss, or rather, it realizes that it is still a deep abyss... My faith... speaks to my soul and asks: Are you still downcast? Will you never be at peace? Wait for God's help... Early in the morning I shall present myself before him and watch... I shall see my champion and my God who will give life to our perishable bodies too, for the sake of the Spirit who dwells in us, because in his mercy he moved over the dark waters of our souls.

somehow, Augustine sees a clear link between the mercy of God and his active hovering over our souls. what a beautiful (and helpful!) encouragement to remember God's merciful nature in this picture of his hovering over.