Oceans of faith: facing fears and finding God among coral reefs | with Rachel Jordan

For marine biologist, writer, and lay theologian Rachel Jordan, the ocean has never just been a backdrop—it’s been a living metaphor for her relationship with God. Raised in a Christian household, Rachel’s wonder at tide pools and the mysteries of the deep developed alongside her budding faith. She explains how the intrigue of peering into tiny, brimming tide pools mirrored her fascination with glimpses of God’s character: “There was something vast and impressive that laid beyond, that I wanted to explore.”

Just as the tide pools hinted at whole worlds awaiting discovery, Rachel found that both faith and science propelled her deeper: “Being a Christian has propelled me further into a desire to understand science ... and being a scientist has, I believe, made me a better Christian.”

Rachel may study the ocean’s wonders, but her path has been anything but fearless. “I’ve had this recurring nightmare ... of getting eaten by sharks ... I was just terrified of it,” she confesses. And yet, her marine biology career meant close encounters with those notorious creatures were not just possible, but sometimes necessary.

What’s remarkable is how God met her in those moments of dread—not by removing the fear, but by transforming it. As she recounts, “The beauty is that God took this thing that I was afraid of and converted it to open-mouthed wonder.”

Rachel’s transparency normalizes fear as a companion to growth, whether learning to dive or facing daunting new callings. Her encouragement? “It’s okay to feel [fear]; it might be something that God uses in your story to do something really big and to show you more of who he is.”

Lessons of Grief and Hope from the Coral Reefs

Perhaps nowhere does Rachel blend her scientific vocation and spiritual conviction more poignantly than in her stewardship of endangered corals. She describes the “magic castles” of Dry Tortugas National Park—towering, endangered pillar corals—where she devoted herself to preservation efforts. Witnessing the corals’ decline from disease was, for Rachel and her fellow scientists, “tragic and deeply impactful.”

Yet, as a follower of Christ, Rachel finds hope in the heartbreak. Not only does she grieve in community, but she sees loss through the lens of biblical resurrection. She connects the “white skeleton bony structures” of dead corals to Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones: if God can bring those bones to life, can’t he also restore coral reefs one day? For Rachel, loss becomes an invitation to hope: “All of creation is eventually going to be restored, remade ... I just wonder what he’s going to do next.”

Divine Lessons from Buddy Dives and Seahorses

Diving, for all its wonder, is fraught with risk, which is why marine biologists always practice “buddy diving”—entrusting their lives to a partner in the depths. For Rachel, this is a living parable: “God is our ultimate dive buddy ... he’s not only capable of rescuing us in danger, but he promises to never leave or forsake us.”

Other creatures—even a seahorse named Mr. Snuggles—have revealed to her the joy of relationship, not just provision. “I want to, like Mr. Snuggles, draw close to him and just sort of curl up with him and hang out together.”

Scripture: A Dive Site Brimming with Life

What better metaphor for the Bible, Rachel muses, than a vibrant dive site—unchanging in position but always full of surprise, beauty, and life? “When I read God’s word ... there’s always something new to discover.” It’s a place to keep returning with fresh awe and an explorer’s heart.

The Deep Calls to Deep

Whether or not you’ll ever strap on a snorkel, Rachel’s conversation is an invitation: to see the world as shot through with the beauty and presence of its Maker, to find him not only in safe harbor but also in the open, sometimes scary waters of life, and to trust that every loss and fear can be met—and even redeemed—by the God who made oceans and corals... and calls each of us out into the deep.

MEET RACHEL JORDAN

Rachel G. Jordan is a professional marine biologist and lay theologian. A self-professed Jesus-loving coral nerd, she was raised in Idaho and has since traveled the globe chasing her passion for faith and science. She has an MS in marine biology and ecology from James Cook University (Australia), a BS in ecology from Seattle Pacific University (USA), and a certification in biblical studies from Bodenseehof Bible School (Germany). In addition to working as a coral biologist for the US National Park Service, Rachel has worked in marine aquaculture research, organic chemistry laboratories, veterinary research facilities, the pet industry, and a museum. When not diving or writing, she can be found reading C.S. Lewis, growing wildflowers, and exploring creation with her husband.

More at https://rachelgjordan.com/ 

MORE ABOUT “IF THE OCEAN HAS A SOUL”

The ocean is filled with scientific discoveries―and God’s presence.

For marine biologist Rachel Jordan, both science and Scripture are means of knowing creation and Creator. In If the Ocean Has a Soul, Rachel considers the natural world through a spiritual lens, meshing marine biology with biblical truths in a keen and current take on faith and science. With engaging storytelling and deep knowledge of the Bible, she asks and answers questions like:

How can Christians reconcile religion and science when the two seem opposed?

What do suffering and death teach us about the character of Jesus?

How do we care for the environment when there seems to be little hope for repair?

What do the ocean and its sea creatures, specifically, reveal about God?

In these pages, Rachel recounts fascinating aquatic phenomena alongside the sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic stories of animals she has known. You’ll lose yourself in the shadows of an underwater labyrinth; hear spiritual wisdom from a great-grandmother coral the size of a Volkswagen Beetle; and fall in love with Porky, the pudgy porcupinefish greeting visitors at the Windjammer shipwreck. And along the way, you’ll see how the promise of restoration unfolds in both physical and spiritual ways. Rachel’s thoughtful scientific and theological insights encourage us to know the Creator of the sea and everything in it.

Preorder Bonus Content – Until June 3, 2025 when the book releases:

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Resource List: PDF download

“Can Faith & Science Coexist?” Guide: PDF download

Spotify Playlist: the book’s soundtrack

Phone Backgrounds: 6 unique styles

Watercolor Mini-Paintings: 3 high-quality prints

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