WHO IS PETER TO THINK HE COULD WALK ON WATER?

I love the God-stories.  They fascinate me for two reasons: (1) I believe them to be historical, and (2) I also believe them to be for our learning as well as experience.

What I find most disturbing is that too much of Christianity is presented to an unbelieving world as a philosophy to be talked; but not an accelerated reality to be walked.

I think about this constantly.  There are serious self-questions as to why I don't seem to break through into the superior kingdom life of wonder and awe.  If we can find what prohibits His display among us, we will simultaneously discover what affords it.

My meager observation is that we tend to think we are to plan the big move, the big event, where God would display His wares for all to be wowed.  Such a tendency is dull; if not deadening.

Rather, look at the Word.  Peter walked on water.  Why did he think he could do that? 

I don't think he did think about it.  It seems he simply responded in obedience to a ludicrous admonition from Jesus.  Jesus urged it.  Peter did it.  It happened.  It was when Peter got to thinking about it that his momentary success sunk.

May I suggest that much of our wishfulness doesn't come about simply because we over-think immediate opportunities into failure to seize the moment?  We study, we map, we plot, and we plan.  Upon reflection I can tell you that much of the super-excitement of my walk came about without my bright coordination and effort.

Think about it.  Peter's walk was basically an interruption turned marvelous.

There were no plans in my scheme for life of ever going to church; let alone preaching.  But God started toward me from across the lake and asked me to reach out my hand.

I think of connecting with Jackie Gleason because the power was out on a Sunday evening at home and I subsequently saw him on 60 Minutes.  I'm reminded of simply reading an ad in a baseball magazine which interrupted my stride as I wept over the possibility of reaching into the baseball world.  Tomorrow I leave for my 30th year of Cardinal camp...impossible.

Who is Peter to think he could walk on water?  He is a plain man with an ability to go with the flow....at least for a bit.  This is encouraging.  It takes practice to follow Jesus.  Who do you think you are that you could walk on water?

God calls us to walk across the tops of waves of insult and injury, of confusion and disorientation, and of disappointment and perplexion.  It isn't our call to measure the how or the why.  It is our thrill to simply get to do it. 

We must break from this hypnotic trance of going through the church motion with hope of barely being permitted to enter heaven at the end.  We must open our eyes to the extended hand of God which reaches to us day by day, moment by moment....often in interruption.