Sermon Illustrations
A Born-Again Irish Beach Gives People Hope
They call it "the born again beach." Here's how a British newspaper described the "rebirth" of a lost beach:
An Irish beach that disappeared more than 30 years ago has returned to an island off the County Mayo coast. The sand at Dooagh, Achill Island, was washed away by storms in 1984, leaving only rocks and rock pools. But after a freak tide around Easter this year, hundreds of tons of sand were deposited around the area where the beach once stood, recreating the old 300-metre stretch of golden sand.
Local people are using the word "miraculous" to describe the beach's renewal. An official for the areas tourism board explained why pilgrims are flocking to the site:
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.