Keep Paddling - August 20
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 131, 132, [133]; PM Psalm 134, 135; Job 1:1-22; Acts 8:26-40; John 6:16-27
I saw a GIF this week that made me chuckle: two kids in lifejackets are up to their necks in a river, paddling as possible, with a swamped canoe completely submerged beneath them. To be sure, I’ve had my share of canoe gaffes…and I find that this scenario resonates with a wide range of lived experiences, especially in 2020: though you’re not alone, the job ahead of you is heading quickly toward the zone known as “complete and utter failure”. Do you ever feel like that? What are we to do in such quagmires? Various responses come to mind (and this is far from an exhaustive list): Jump out of the boat. Laugh. Cry. Panic. Drop your paddle. Freeze in disbelief. Watch your cooler float away. Blame someone. While some options may yield resolution faster than others, there is no perfect or easy answer, is there? It is a messy situation, any way you cut it. Perhaps the best to be done is simply the next right choice for you, and for those in your sinking canoe.
The disciples are in a tenuous boat situation in today’s gospel reading. They are going across a lake, and it is nighttime. Several miles from shore, the winds pick up and the waters grow choppy. Maybe a couple of the disciples are turning “green around the gills,” seasick from being tossed about on the waves. I imagine puddles pooling in the bottom of the boat and tensions beginning to escalate. And then, we are told they see Jesus milling about, walking on the rough waters in the black night…and he heads toward their tossed-about vessel. If they are not unsettled by the mighty winds, they are now totally petrified by Jesus approaching the boat.
What happens next? Jesus acts first, saying, “It’s me, friends! Don’t be so fearful!” I wonder how effective his calming words are, for his friends clamor to the edge and try to pull him into the boat with them. And then, within a blink of an eye, the vessel reaches the shore of their destination. In the chaos of this aquatic adventure, calm and stability comes when Jesus is in charge. He doesn’t get into the boat, as the disciples suggest. Neither does he simply stop the tumultuous waters. Rather, Jesus shows God’s overwhelming generosity by immediately moving them to safety at the shore. I recall from Wednesday’s gospel how Andrew the disciple doubts that the five loaves and two fish are enough to feed the large crowd gathered. Jesus does not heed the caution – and feeds the people. He responds in a more generous way than expected, feeding thousands and yielding 12 baskets of leftovers. Humbling, huh?
I’ll highlight two points: first, Jesus is present with us in the face of our caution, uncertainty, and fears. He holds space for that discomfort. Second, God’s generosity surpasses what we could hope for ourselves. Just as the disciples could not pull Jesus into their boat, we cannot put God into a neat and tidy box. Neither scenario allows for the movement of the Holy Spirit to swirl around us, move our hearts and minds, and empower us to experience the sacred.
So, pray big and often, knowing that God will be with us in the quagmire. Trust that the work of the Holy Spirit will surprise and overwhelm us. Remember that Jesus will calm our fears, whispering, “It is I; do not be afraid.” And finally, keep paddling!
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What have you learned from a failure recently? How might you be more generous to yourself and others when the next failure arises?
Daily Challenge
Take time to call a person you trust and invite them into an experiment. Talk about a failure you’ve experienced or a fear you have. Ask them to listen and be with you in that vulnerable space. No guidance or problem-solving is needed…just sharing space in the “sinking canoe”.