An Irish beach disappeared in 1984. At Dooagh Beach, the sand on Achill Island was washed away by storms, leaving only rocks and rock pools. Right around Easter in 2017 a strange tide came and deposited hundreds of the tons of sand where the former beach stretched about 300 meters.
The locals describe the event as “miraculous.” The renewal of the beach is inspiring. The local tourism board explained why people are flocking to the resurrected beach:
“We live in a dark world these days so I think that is why there has been so much interest in Dooagh beach since the story broke. For something like our beach to come back gives people hope. It’s a good news story and one where nature has done something benign for a change. The title of J.J. McNamara’s article says it all: “‘It gives people hope’: born-again Irish beach captures world’s attention.”
This Advent we will study the ancient themes of a season that early Christians considered a “mini-Lent.” This Sunday we begin our sermon series, A Charlie Brown Christmas, with the message “Longing for Hope.” Invite a friend to join you this month for a fun, meaningful walk through Advent, celebrating Jesus, the Christ, in whom we find our hope.
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday,
Pastor Cathy Johns