Are
you a beach person? I know I am! There's nothing like the beach to calm me down
and help me sort out all that's going on in my life. The beach absolutely
soothes my soul. Some writers have said that the sea is a 'liminal space', a
place for growth and change. I know with every fiber of my being, that is true
for me!
I
love when our gospel stories take place on a beach! Who doesn't like a boat
ride after a long day of work? It's not by accident that Jesus invites his friends
to "cross to the other side" of the water with him. This might remind
them of their own ancestors crossing through the Red Sea in search of freedom
from slavery. Might Jesus be inviting them to free themselves from the doubts
and worries that bind them?
We
wonder, why did Jesus fall asleep in the boat...how tired was he? And why, as
the trip got more treacherous, wasn't he up front helping his friends bail
water out of the boat? How could he be so calm that he stayed asleep?
It
could be that falling asleep might be seen as the ultimate sign of trust in
God-Jesus had no worries, he knew they would be OK. The fishermen disciples as
yet, have no idea who Jesus really is, so how could they be expected to be
calm? From their perspective, everyone was supposed to be working to save the
ship....and this carpenter dude was not pulling his weight! They can be
forgiven for their lack of faith,
because they didn't yet understand. It's
OK if we're not always sure....it's OK if we're on the way...some days, most days,
we don't fully understand. We are works in progress, just like those first
disciples!
Only
God has control over the sea and the storm, so this is the dawning of the
disciples understanding that Jesus is more than a good preacher...they see for
a fleeting moment, the divine in him. Can you imagine how amazed they must have
been? They must have been filled with awe.
Their
amazement, though, needs to deepen into real faith. Like the mustard seed last
week, time will help their faith grow.
How
many of us wonder what is going to happen for the Catholic Church in the days
to come? For the last year and a half folks have gotten very comfortable
sipping coffee on their couches on Sunday mornings and watching Mass on YouTube. Will we find a reason to go back to sharing Eucharist and worshiping together in a church building? Do we think we still need a parish community to
help us live out our faith? Do we need the institutional structure that
oversees the Catholic church? All really serious and important questions for us
to ponder.
God
continues to be with us in our Church, despite our failings and sinfulness,
even if we don't know what the future holds! Will the church of the future be
better or worse than today? I hope with all my heart it will be better, stronger, more devoted to discipleship! We don't know, but in faith, we trust it WILL be
here in some form and God will still be in charge!
From
where we stand on the other side of the beach, what is our perspective? Are we
open to transformation, both personally and as a church community? Are we filled with wonder and awe at what God
can do, or are we afraid?
The
story of Jesus falling asleep on the boat isn't about Jesus ignoring the danger
around the boat, but rather, this story is about inviting us to 'the other
side' so we can see both him and the world in a different way. From this new
perspective, this new horizon, what do you see? Now that you've seen a glimpse
of the divine, how will you live your life differently?
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