“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” Mathew 14:22–23
This from the Jesus tradition has been called a miracle story – maybe THE miracle story – of Jesus walking on water. And as usual, we should never read the miracle stories as if they’re about the miracle. They’re not. It’s not about some superhero walking on water, just as superhero movies aren’t about the other-worldly superpowers of the hero. It’s about what’s going on in Peter’s heart. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts.
When faced with a challenge, Peter was all bravado. He had been hearing Jesus talk about rising out of the storms of life, he saw firsthand spiritual centeredness and calm. He saw that and he wanted it.
So with the instruction not to be afraid he steps out of the boat. And what do you know, he starts doing it, he starts walking on the water. He starts doing what he needs to do to overcome the brutal waves.
But then his heart betrays him. He looks down at the rolling, storming water underneath him and when he sees just how real his situation is, he loses his nerve. He starts to get pulled under and overwhelmed by his reality. He recognizes he needs help and he calls out. And of course, he gets the help he needs. And these two friends together make it until the winds die down.
Once safe in the boat, Jesus turns to him: “You’re faint hearted. What got into you?” It’s the question for us all – when we’re in the middle of life’s storms, it’s our hearts we need to be strong. The boat? We can’t count on it. The wind to blow in the right direction? We can’t count on that either. What we have is our heart. To be strong hearted in the face of challenge and adversity.
Faint-heartedness, losing our nerve, allowing our courage to drain in the moments we need them most….is sidetrack to our spiritual health, to our faithful action, to allowing our inner hero out into the world…and we all know what it’s like. We’ve all been there.
And it can’t just be a matter of will. So how do we do it?
How did Peter do it in the world of the story: First, he gets out of the boat. That’s a big deal. And we all find our own ways of doing that.
Simple acts of connection. Out of the boat, off the beaten track. And what would the journey be without those to guide, to share the path, to seek wisdom from?
Getting out of the boat also means being willing to surround ourselves with those that have been in the storm before – ones with strong hands and strong hearts – to help back us up when we lose our nerve….as we all do.
May we be open to the spirit of generosity, of good work and compassion, and the ongoing task of strengthening our hearts to face what we need to in life with calm, with compassion, with strength; and to celebrate those in our midst who step into the water with strong hearts – inspiring us all.
If nothing else, let’s let a little joy and strength live through us.
We’ll do that every time we face one of life’s storms. We’ll do that each time we encounter someone in need and outstretch our hand. We’ll do that each time we lose our nerve. We’ll call upon our long legacy of strength, of love, of heart.
-Chris New
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