Heard the one about the pastor, the rabbi and the imam going surfing together?No, because it's not a joke.
Spiritual leaders of various faiths descended upon a California beach for a Blessing of the Waves ceremony on Sunday, thanking God for the joy the waters have given.
After praising the Lord (or "The Big Kahuna") for the killer waves for the babes and dudes assembled before him, Father Christian Mondor said, "May they hang 10 on thy oceanic bounty and, if it be in accordance with thy gnarly plan, may they not wipe out."
With that, Father Matthew Munoz, the pastor of Orange County's St. Irenaeus Catholic Church, picked up his board and led two dozen wave warriors into the ocean at Huntingdon Beach - but only after pronouncing, "I'm not Jesus. I need a surfboard to walk on water."
Of course, the event, held in the same town where the U.S. Surfing Championships were born nearly 50 years ago, did have a serious side. It was inspired by the annual prayers of Hawaiian surf legend Duke Kahanamoku that have been carried out informally down the years by surfers who would hit the waves before heading to church on a Sunday.
The organizers, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, opened up the blessing up to everyone and representatives of the Jewish, Mormon and Islamic faiths were there to offer prayers.
"The ocean is such an important part of our lives," said Fawad Yacoob, of the Islamic Society of Orange County. "We're all one planet, one world, we're one people, so I think this is a wonderful idea."
The blessing is now being planned as an annual event.
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(Source: D|N)