Nov. 19, 2024
Seashore
Photo Courtesy of Jim Burklo
Matthew 22: 22-33: Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Very often, water features prominently in my dreams. And in leading dream analysis groups over the years, I know this to be true for many others. Water often represents the unconscious realm within us – the submerged part of ourselves of which we're barely aware in our waking life. In dreams we go below the surface, in moments both fearsome and thrilling, and discover what lies below. Given that we all began our existence surrounded by the water of the womb, it is no wonder that we return there in our dreams.
Jesus walking on water: if you had dreamed this biblical myth, what would it mean to you? For me, it is a dream-story of a human being who was able to stay completely in touch with his unconscious dimension without drowning in the sea of his feelings and urges. He was able to connect the above-the-water mind with the below-the-surface mind. He was able to move through the conscious and unconscious realms with equal ease.
This is a goal for us all: to be able to function in the world above water – the world of work, of community, of relationships, of worldly affairs. And equally to be able to negotiate the hidden, inner dimension of our existence. To know our own inner feelings, urges, insights, hunches, and pay attention to our dreams. To see the connections we have to other people and things, connections only visible below the surface of things. Jesus negotiated the world under the water and the world above it, equally – and so can we.
At its best, the church is not only a dock on the troubled waters of life, a safe haven for all sorts of sometimes shipwrecked folks – it’s also a place to delve into the sometimes dangerous, always fascinating waters of the soul, to find out what is down there, to learn how to brave its powerful currents. A community where we help each other learn to walk on water with the Christ.
I love this poem composed by that lowest-case of poets, ee cummings:
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea
The sea is mystery. It’s a desert. Save but for the dark pinpricks of distant ships or gyring birds, it is a great emptiness that clears away our pretenses. It washes away our preconceptions. Its waves grind to sand our edifices of pride. It hides power and energy beneath its surface.
In the myth at the end of the book of John, that most mystical of biblical gospels, Jesus stands on the beach after his death and resurrection. Dark mysteries writhe and surge below the waves in front of him. Jesus knows what moves under the water. He sees the unseen. He tells his fisher-folk friends where to drop the net. They follow his instructions and pull up a huge haul of fish. The sea is the realm of the unconscious. The waves are our fears. The Christ is the master of the waters. The One within us who strides over the waves and casts out fear and enables us to identify what we need to find below the surface.
It’s always ourselves we find in the sea. We find that Self by unfinding: by recognizing who we aren’t. When you go to the beach, you have to leave a lot behind. Half the fun of it is reducing your belongings to what fits in a wicker basket, and wearing as little clothing as possible. And when you get into the water, there’s no carrying the wicker basket. Or even the flip-flops.
Is this not what it means to follow the Christ? To move freely and joyfully in and on the waters of the soul, unburdened by useless assumptions, worn-out beliefs, and pointless fears. To know what is above and below the surface, and walk across it in faith...