In today’s gospel passage, we share a moment in the turbulent relationship between Jesus and the disciples. The crowd has been fed. Jesus sends the disciples over to the far side of the lake, promising to follow. Jesus stays to see the people off. By the time they are gone, night has fallen. Out on the lake things have turned ugly; a wind has made the water very dangerous, and the boat is in some serious difficulty. The fact that it is pitch dark makes the situation even worse. At this point, Christ appears to them, moving over the waters. They are terrified. Typically, the one who responds is Peter. Impelled by the sight of his Master, he leaves the boat, reaching for Jesus. Suddenly his courage fails him and he goes under. Christ reaches out to him and rescues him.
What is being offered to us here? First, we all have to take our voyage across the lake, because the lake is life itself. We all take that voyage in the fearful and vulnerable vessel called the self. Because of the vulnerability, we frequently travel with others. To each of us there comes a time of storm, of struggle, and of fear. At such a time, we feel like it is night in our lives. It is in fact at night that we do a great deal of our wrestling with those thoughts that storm the defenses of our half-asleep mind.
At such times, Christ can and does come to us. In our fear he may say in many ways to us, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” We will indeed take heart in the face of what is troubling us. We will make our decision to resist fear. Like Peter, we will get up and risk ourselves in the face of the storm within us, trying to conquer our fear. Sometimes in such a situation we can falter as Peter did. The storm howls around us. The world seems to give way beneath us; we begin to sink. At such a moment, Christ can and does reach out to us. There can be new strength and stability. There can be a stilling of the inner storm. This has been true for many fellow pilgrims who have gone before us, and it can be true for us.
May the Peace of Christ be with you this week,
Fr. Bob+
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