Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
Here's another of my favorite stories about Jesus and the disciples. Being a north coast dweller and a sailor, it is easy for me to enter the scene.
I have experienced the feeling of being battered by waves, buffeted by wind. Most of the time when I am boating I enjoy the feeling of being on the edge of a storm. After all, my boat is rigged well for high winds and rolling waves. I also usually sail with other experienced sailors who act reflexively and calmly as the rapid changes that can occur under sail unfold. Generally I move with unquestioned faith that both craft and crew will work together for a safe journey.
However, there are times when rigging fails or sails tear apart. The engines used to enter or depart from marinas konk out (or even fall overboard...no lie!) Foul weather can come racing down the lake like a freight train, and a seemingly benign breeze can become an angry wind in a matter of minutes.
In those moments all of us hunker down and gather around our knowledge of foul weather or handicapped sailing conditions. Usually the "emergency" can be met safely by calmly and effectively responding. Together we identify and proceed with the safest maneuver possible. There is a spirit of adventure, to be sure! However, underlying the adrenaline rush there may be an undeniable thread of...yes...FEAR! And one thing is sure -- if anybody on board allows FEAR to dominate, we are all in greater danger. FEAR depletes energy and can limit our ability to sort through the options. It also is infectious and it can generate waves of rash actions
I can imagine how the disciples may have felt when their boat was being tossed about by unruly waves. In their terror they couldn't manage the boat. In fact, they were even rattled to the bones by the appearance of their beloved Lord and saw him with through the lens of terror rather than the lens of faith.
How about when situations in life begin to crash against us, or our family, or the church? I am sure, thankfully, that there have been many times that "we" have been able to calmly assess our resources or abilities and navigate effectively through the challenges.
But there have also been the times when the underlying thread of FEAR has threatened to move us to paralysis or it's equally ineffective opposite: rash, unthinking action. In those times we all do well to take some time to look around us or within our hearts, to discover God's Hand reaching out toward us. Christ is always walking with us, approaching us with all that we need to meet our challenge.
Jesus approaches against all odds and in seemingly impossible conditions saying "It is I. Do not be afraid." As he meets us in our fear, amazing calmness of heart is given. It is a calmness given so that we can be "in" the stormiest situation without being overcome by it.
No comments:
Post a Comment