Maintaining the Shoreline

Over the past century, the United States has replenished more than 818 miles of coastline with new sand—a monumental effort to counter the natural erosion of coastlines caused by waves, tides, and storms (American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, August 2019). This repair practice, known as “beach nourishment,” has placed nearly 1.5 billion cubic yards of sand along the U.S. coastline, according to the National Beach Nourishment Database. Cities like Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, have undergone dozens of nourishment projects since 1939. The efforts in Wrightsville Beach have cost nearly $100 million, with the latest effort alone priced at $17 million. However, it is expected that the oceans will wash away that replenished sand in just a few years.

Outside of the U.S., beaches in Barcelona, Spain, are losing approximately 30,000 cubic meters of sand each year—equivalent to twelve Olympic swimming pools—as the ocean erodes a shoreline originally expanded for the 1992 Olympics. Today, those beaches average at just one-third their 1992 width, and recent storms have erased entire sections overnight. Despite plans for €60 million worth of modular breakwaters, sand replenishment remains the primary tool for preserving the city’s coastline.

It is easy to see a spiritual parallel to physical beach erosion. Christians living in Satan’s world must continually grow and change through daily prayer, Bible study, and obedience, nourishing the Holy Spirit within them as Satan’s world works to wear them down and erode their faith. To assist in this process of Christian growth, Tomorrow’s World offers a free 24-lesson Bible Study Course that can help you on your way.