the faith journey in microcasm

The story of Peter's short-lived journey across the top of the sea is, for me, a powerful and heartbreaking reminder of how difficult walking by faith can be. With imagery harking back to the parable of the sower (or the soils) Peter is very much like the seed that fell on the rocky soil or among the weeds.

Full of zeal (among other things I imagine) Peter calls out to Jesus, "If it is really you, let me walk out there too." How often is our first instinct in a crisis situation to bargain with God. "If I'm supposed to take this job, marry this person, battle this disease, wear these socks give me a sign." I wonder if this is the moment when God wrote off bargaining for good. Anyway, Peter is desperate to muster some faith, and he thinks that by walking on water with Jesus it'll come easier.

Jesus, to his credit, gives Peter the opportunity to try. "Come on out," Jesus says, and Peter steps off the boat. There are times when faith seems quite easy, when Jesus seems quite close, when prayers stream forth from us at every given moment. Those times (years, weeks, minutes, seconds) are fantastic; we too feel like we can walk on water. There is excitement, joy, and comfort (seemingly) in those times.

But faith is susceptible to doubt, questions, and temptation. Having a free will, the great blessing and curse of God's plan for Creation, means that every moment of every day requires us to choose the kingdom of God over and above the world or worse. There are times when distractions dry us out. There are times when the devil creeps in and tempts us to choose another path. There are times when we take our eyes off Jesus, and begin to sink. There are times when it is "we of little faith."

So Jesus reaches out, gives Peter a hand, returns him safely to the boat, and the faith journey continues. By grace alone are we saved from ourselves over and over and over again. Through the faithfulness of Jesus to God and the God head's faithfulness to us we are given another opportunity to find the face of Christ and muster faith enough to step out of the boat.