Water Walking

Being surrounded by water here on Maui, I find my mind drifting to one of last week's lectionary verses about Jesus coming to the disciples on the water, ostensibly "on top of the water."  Not only do I drift to those verses but to a thought I've had many times in my life and a thought you  may have entertained as well.  That is - have you ever thought personally about your own walking on water?  I know silly, but have you?

Back to the Pacific Ocean I'm seeing from the condo, not a small sea, but still it's water, the wind is howling, and the ocean has white caps on it; a similar situation I think that Jesus' disciples might have found themselves in.  A little more sea than they'd bargained for, wondering if they would perish or at least lose their boat and livelihood, what must they have thought to see Jesus coming toward them?

Did they fear it was the end for them, that they were hallucinating, that perhaps they were already dead with an apparition of God appearing before them?  Did they swear or pray or cry out for mercy?  Were they speechless with fear and anxiety?  Did it occur to them that Jesus was coming to them  and would calm the waters, save their lives? 

And of Jesus - did he really "walk" on the water, was he wearing his sandals or was he barefooted with sandals in hand or pocket?  Did he glide like a curling stone or was he more like Michael Jackson gliding smoothly as though in a heavenly moonwalk stride?  Or did he simply float above the  tumultuous sea like a hover craft?  Were his hair and robes in total mad man-looking disarray, soaking wet, or dry as though insulated by a heavenly plastic shield?  See what I mean, there's a lot more to Jesus just walking out and getting in the boat.....did he step gently over the side with a long stride or did he sort of lunge and trip into the middle as if crash landing off a wave?  Is that when he decided to command the sea to be still?

However he navigated the waters, barefoot or sandaled,  Jesus accomplished the walking and it looked so simple that Peter confidently stepped out of the boat to join Him.  Quickly realizing that no matter how much faith he had to step over the side of the boat, he did not have enough of it to keep himself at Jesus' level of ability, Peter cried out at once for Jesus' help.

So, have you ever thought of walking on water or is it a world record, a never-since gold medal honor that you've always left for Jesus to hold on his own?  And other of Jesus' examples and teachings such as loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, or just trying to love ourselves - is that even too hard for us to accomplish, giving it up as impossible rather than even giving it a try. Surely there is so much faith, example, and story in the telling of Jesus' water walk that it has lasted 2000 years.  

What would Jesus' water walk look like to us today or what does it look like today when our boats are in danger of sinking, our faith is in need of resuscitation, our lives are not on the even keel that they're supposed to be?  Are we willing to take one step toward Jesus in order to ask for his help, his hand, his love or is it a fairy tale story to even imagine.....I mean, do you really think he walked on the water?