Getting out of the Boat: A Life of Faith

Reading for Proper 14A: Mt. 14:22-33
August 7, 2005

The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt

St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA

If you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat!

Today I would like to talk about faith in the life of a Christian. Yesterday, on August 6th, the world paused for the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Yesterday, on August 6th, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration: an event (some two thousand years ago) where Jesus' disciples had a "mountain top" experience of the divine. What a juxtaposition! Two events, on opposite sides of the spectrum: one having to do with destruction while the other having to do with transformation. This, however, is a picture of real life in a world made up of fearful, wounded, and somewhat unconscious human beings trying to do their best. What are we to do?

Out of the ashes of destruction, new life can emerge. This is the hope of resurrection; a hope that is at the core of the Christian faith. "Behold, I am making all things new." Today, I will use the gospel story as a text to illuminate a life of faith within the human sphere of chaos, fear, and uncertainty.

Whenever we attempt to interpret the scriptures and try to make them relevant to our lives, we need to ask why we are reading the scriptures in the first place. What do we hope to gain? Who is the primary actor? And where are the life-giving insights? Unlike self-help books, the scriptures inform us of how God is acting in the world to save us. By stepping into the gospel narratives, we are stepping into the story of salvation.

Salvation comes from the word to heal, to make whole. I think all people agree that human beings need to be saved, need to be healed, need to be made whole. Where we differ is how this salvation is to come about. Some say a political solution will save us. Others are depending on an economic solution. There are still others who say we just need to get our act together and work harder. Christians would say that it is only through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us that creation will be made whole.

The purpose of Jesus' ministry is to show us how we can become active participants in this process of salvation. Today's story is one such example of how to become better participants in the healing of our lives. The story begins on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, which is located in northern Israel. Jesus and his disciples have just finished feeding the 5000. Jesus then sends his disciples away without him while he dismisses the crowds and spends time in prayer. The boat heads in the westward direction and is accosted by heavy winds and battering waves. Facing a storm in the middle of the night can be a fearful event, even for these very experienced fishermen. It takes an incredible amount of grounding to keep one's wits and to remain confident in the face of such uncertainty.

The story of Jesus calming the sea, is a story of "separation, chaos, and adversity" that is part and parcel of the human condition. While the specifics may differ, this story is no different from a person who loses everything in the stock market and has to start over; or the person who is facing the finality of death and has to transition to the other side; or the one who must deal with the grief and loss of losing a loved one through illness or divorce. Separation, chaos, and adversity, can play havoc on our mental health and can affect our ability to make choices that are life-giving. It is difficult to remain centered in the face of fear. That is why the religious life is so important. The religious life helps us to focus on moving from a place of fear to a place of love. How successful we are in this movement from fear to love, depends on the depth and orientation of our faith.

Faith is a system of images, values, and commitments that guide our life in times in times of equilibrium as well as in times of chaos. What is the purpose of your life? What gives it meaning? When you are most discouraged, what gets you up in the morning to return to the struggle? When and where do you experience wonder and awe? What events, persons, relationships, or experiences have most decisively shaped your way of seeing and moving in life? These are questions of faith; questions that will help you discern where exactly your faith is grounded.

Everyone who chooses to go on living, operates by some basic faith, even if they call themselves atheists. Some people place their faith on the stock market and material acquisition. Others place their faith on a family unit or a significant other. Experienced Christians place their faith in God; the God that was most fully revealed to us in Christ.

While today's story is about separation, chaos, and fear, it is also a story about faith. It is about finding your call, transcending fear, risking faith, managing failure, and waiting on Christ. We see this story of faith being played out in the person of Peter, who was really not a skeptic. Peter was a faithful follower of Jesus who was in the inner circle and was also human. If we take a closer look at the story, we will see that Peter has much faith and is not afraid to test this faith.

1. Peter is a man of faith because he is able to see Jesus in spite of the darkness of the night. This is not always easy. I do not know about you, but I am much more able to experience God when things are going well. When things are going well, I am upbeat, confident, and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit moving through me. This is called a time of consolation- a time of confidence in the power and presence of God. However, when my life is thrown into chaos and I experience deep suffering, that consolation flees from me. In the midst of the darkness, God's voice seems silent. At times like these it is important for us to pray, even if our confidence in the power and presence of God has weakened. It is a time to cry out: "Help my unbelief." At times like these, it is important to depend on the faith of others within the community to carry us through these stormy times. If you don't feel close to God, guess who moved?
2. Peter is a man of faith because he willing to respond to the call of Christ by getting out of the boat. He is willing to risk safety and security in order to respond to this call. Once out of the boat, he moves toward the object of his true affection (which is Christ). How do you respond to the call of Christ? Can you even hear the call? Of course, the call is not something foreign. It is simply a call to lead an abundant life and to share your gifts with others, thus making this place a better place in which to live.

   But how many of us refuse to respond to the call and are stuck in the boat, waiting for someone else to make life better? Many people remain stuck because they are afraid to make changes. They are not willing to risk what they have in order to gain what lies ahead. Perhaps it is a soul deadening job, or a superficial life, or an over-mortgaged lifestyle that keeps a person stuck. It is not a good place to be in. Congregations can also get stuck in the boat, refusing to take new risks that might lead them towards abundance. Instead of listening to the call of Jesus, some congregations listen to the fears that often accompany change. Peter knew that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life. And because of this certainty, was willing to risk his life in answering the call.

3. Peter was a man of faith because he was willing to test his faith even if it meant failure. Who in their right mind would get out of a boat in the midst of a storm? Peter had his doubts. We all do. Doubt is simply the state of mind where there are opposing ideas. Any thinking person has doubts. To doubt means to vacillate. Yes, it is a good idea, but... No, it isn’t a good idea but then.... As long as Peter kept his eyes focused on Jesus, he stayed afloat. But once he was distracted by the strong wind and focused on the adversity, he began to sink. How did he manage his failure? Did he hide? Was he ashamed? Did he fake it? No! When Peter began to sink, he cried out: “Lord save me.” No matter how much faith we may have, there will be times when we cannot save ourselves. Eventually we will have to face the realities of aging, diseases, and accidents, all beyond our power to control. Peter had to leave the ship and risk his life to learn both of his own weaknesses and the power of his Lord. If he had not taken the risk, he would never have learned the meaning of faith. Trust is another word for faith.

So what about all this walking on water? How can a scientist deal with such a story? I can not explain the walking on water anymore than I can explain how people can walk on coals without burning their feet or how people can temporarily levitate while in a deep meditative trance, or how two separated sisters from Kazakhstan (who never knew the other one existed) ended up in the same house in Berkeley California. But it doesn’t really matter because walking on water has little to do with actual faith.

Faith is daring to believe that God is with us, leading us through the storm, in the face of all contradictory evidence. Faith is daring to believe that peace on earth is possible in the face of war, violence, and the hardness of human hearts. Faith is daring to believe that healing and compassion can become the dominant themes of how we construct our society, such that the blind see, the lame walk, the poor are fed, the oppressed are liberated, and all people are given the opportunity to live a full life. Faith is keeping our eyes focused on Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. Faith is daring to believe that with God, all things are possible.

"Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will." [Collect of the Day, BCP 232]

Updated 8/22/05

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