Readings: Mark 6:30-34 and 53-56; Ephesians 2:11-22 I love the first part of the reading from Mark. Jesus tells his disciples to `come away to a deserted place by yourselves and rest a while. For many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat.`

Matt, the boys and I have done just that in the last two weeks. We have spent some time up north at Coral Bay, resting a while. Sun, snorkelling and the incredible marine wildlife on display have enabled us to take in some of the joys of living at a more leisurely pace.

Two things stand out for me during our time away. Firstly we saw whales, lots of whales. Nathan and I initially went on a whale watching tour and although we didn`t get too close we saw lots of these huge animals just past the reef. When we visited my cousin, however, who was camping on the beach at Ningaloo Station we were lucky to witness many whales breaching and frolicking all day off the coast, so close we felt we could join in. To see these massive animals leaping out of the water was simply amazing.

The second thing that stood out for me was the uncomplicated way we holidayed this time. Instead of staying in a chalet we actually camped, something we don`t often do. We were beginners in this endeavour but we were supported by friends who were much more experienced. We also had people around us, whom we had never met before, but who were friendly, encouraging and who helped us acclimatise to this new way of life. One of these co-campers was a grandmother, who was the sole carer of her 8 year old grandson, because her daughter was a drug addict and unable to care for him. She was amazing, had everything a camper needed, and not only looked after him but us as well. This community aspect of camping was a surprise and a blessing, and one that we all enjoyed immensely.

Time away from our normal lives gives us space to think, to look back on what we have been doing or not doing, and to realign our life back to the principles and priorities we think are important. It is easy to forget, amongst the busyness, that we are attempting to live lives guided by the message of Jesus and the spirit of God.

Our time away gave me space and enabled me to do things that got me back in touch with this message. The whales, the coral, the huge variety of fish and the sea, which was very rough and powerful at times, was a reminder that we are all part of the great creative order of God. There exists a spirituality of connectedness that engages all of us, human and non human alike, and sometimes we have to see nature in its own setting to realise this.

The camping, and the community that was developed was also important to me, and became a pointer to a larger human reality. As it was read today in Ephesians, Jesus has come to bring `one new humanity, no longer strangers and aliens but members of the household of God`. While Paul was referring to Gentiles and Jews in the first century, it can be applied equally in our own lives in the 21st century. We are to foster this spirituality of connectedness to people around us, through whatever contact we have, even if it is just camping. And those we have contact with can, quite unexpectedly, teach us many things about love and sacrifice and about God.

So our time in Coral Bay, although brief, was refreshing and uplifting, and helped remind us both of our place with the rest of creation and our responsibility to create a new humanity, even in a caravan park. I think Jesus would approve of our rest.