Ye of little faith…

I was up to my forearms in cleaning supplies this past weekend - getting ready for company on Christmas. But when you are cleaning everything in sight, you - well at least I allow my mind to wonder. So here is what de-stressed, mindless tasks do to a Espinoodle brain while cleaning the cupboards.

Did you ever want to walk on water? (I told you my mind was wondering!), perhaps moving mountains like Mohammad, or perhaps parting the seas with a flick of a Charleston Heston type hand?

So hypothetically let's agree that nothing is impossible if you have faith. But to gain faith one has to eliminate any traces of doubt. The million dollar question is just how do we do that?

Remember the story in the bible about Jesus of Nazareth, and the disciple Peter, when they walked on water. It is a great example of faith!

Some people think that the story is parabolic or a fancy allegory or an imaginary figment of some historical imagination. I choose to believe that it is one of the true miracles of the bible and my faith in that legend is important to me. The story goes;

Peter and the disciples of Jesus Christ are on a ship out at sea. This was when they were still men of the world, casting nets for a fishy catch, before they because fishers of men. On this occasion the sea - as it is prone to do in biblical lore – took a stormy turn for the worse and started tossing the ship around like a toothpick. The waves were raging and the disciples feared for their very lives. But the fear of the contrary sea was nothing next to the terror they felt when across the tumultuous waves walked Jesus as casual as you or I on our Sunday stroll.

He was walking on the water.

The men were terrified and thought Jesus was a ghost, and when he spoke to them their terror doubled. When Jesus saw their fright he begged them to 'fear not, it is I, Jesus.' He tried to reassure them that he was no sprit, but they were not convinced.

'If it is really you Jesus' a doubting Peter said, 'then bid me to walk beside you on the water'. So Jesus bid him out from the boat and Peter - filled with faith – was able to walk on the sea too. But, as he walked across the waves towards Jesus and he saw the rage of the water beneath his feet and all around him Peter suddenly erred. That split second of doubt became a crippling loss of faith and he quickly started to sink into ocean. He cried out; 'save me Jesus, save me.' Jesus held out his hand and lifted Peter out of the water and said 'why dids't though doubt me of thou of little faith?'

Faith had enabled Peter to walk on water. Lack of faith saw seen him sinking faster that the Euro against the dollar.

When he asked Jesus for help, Peter called upon the power of ten thousand angels.

We can all do this, any time we want. We can all close our eyes and ask our God or the universe to help us, to guide us and when necessary…save us. (I ask for help every single day. Trust me I need it.)

The two men returned to the ship, where the storm suddenly and miraculously calmed.

What I love about this story is what it represents to me. Whether you believe in Jesus or miracles are of little consequence, what is important is that you see the literal meaning of this story. To me, the ship that the disciples find themselves on represents the world of comfort and safety; the known. Your safe comfortable world, your job, your house, your relationships, and your beliefs. It represents what you know. The stormy water of course, represents discomfort, the dangerous unknown, the big world out there.

And Jesus walking on the water represents the seemingly impossible.

And let us be in no doubt of one thing; the impossible is never really impossible, it is just an opportunity that we have yet to find a solution for.

Jesus himself in the story represents faith.

And what Jesus is saying is 'I am doing something that you believe is impossible to prove to you the possibility of the impossible.'

When Peter has faith he walks on water, the same as Jesus, when he allows doubt to enter into his mind he starts to sink. It is his faith that creates the miracle and his lack of faith that make impossibility out of the possible.

For Peter to achieve his miracle (in this case to walk on water) he has to leave the safety of the known, the safety of the ship, and step out into the unfamiliar (or the frightening), Jesus is acting as a man of congruence, he is saying 'I can do it, I am showing you that it can be done, now you do it.' By walking on water he demonstrates the miracle in order to make it possible for all. He is the embodiment of his message, he is his own gospel. He is not just saying it can be done and simply expecting you to believe, he is showing that it can be done so that believing is easier.

I re-read the story of Jesus walking on water again yesterday – it something that my son is reading for CCD. Truth is that I sometimes like to re-visit the miracles periodically. I find them to be an inspirational reminder of my heritage. Especially in these so called recessionary times. The first thing I did after I closed his study guide was look at my own life, my own beliefs, my own safe boats and my own impossible dreams. And I reassessed them. And while I don't plan to make a literal attempt at walking on the sea any time soon, J I definitely and unequivocally am going to break my comfort zones and re-classify my list of impossible things. And more that anything else I am going to ask for a little more faith so that, even if water walking and mountain moving and the parting of large expanses of sea are not at the top of my to-do list, all those other impossible dreams will be. Because…. (Because, because, because…) nothing is impossible if you have faith!

Til next time…