Jesus Can Walk on Water. Can you?

Can you walk on water like Jesus did? I give that question a no and yes answer.

First, let’s review Jesus walking on water, found in Mark 6:47–51.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was dark, Jesus wasn’t with them, the sea was rough, the winds were strong, and the men were straining at the oars and terrified. Then, they saw Jesus walking on the water. He said, “It’s me, don’t be afraid.” He got into the boat, the wind ceased, and the men were utterly astonished.

So no, it’s impossible to walk on water. But technically yes, you, too, can walk on water. Google “shoes for walking on water.” They’re expensive, but Jesus didn’t have Google.

Where, then, is the truth? Let’s start with the fact that the Jewish writers of the Bible were not writing historical history but religious history, where one tells a story, not a historical event, with the truth buried inside the story. Jewish scholars and rabbis use midrash, or biblical interpretation, to find that truth.

With that in mind, I see the storm as a metaphor for the adversities we all face by just living. Some are huge, and many are small, but they are all annoying.

As a psychotherapist, I spent most of my career discussing the figurative storms in people’s lives and how they might move through them.

I’ve always been aware of the storms. I was born in the Great Depression, then lived through World War II. As a veteran, my job was to constantly confront storms. I have survived being broadsided by a fire engine on my motorcycle. My wife and I labored through having a child born with multiple disabilities. I’ve been fired three times from jobs for speaking my truth. We moved from Hawai‘i to California, and I had no job. These are only a few of my storms.

Thanks to my faith and this story, I have overcome these challenges. “Don’t be afraid!” is the starting point. Unfortunately, some folks stay afraid, resulting in them being paralyzed or overwhelmed by the storm. That storm takes over their lives.

To prevent that, we have to acknowledge that there is a storm. Next, we need to remember Jesus’s words, “Do not be afraid!” These words are a call to action. To overcome that fear, we need to seek help from trusted friends or a qualified therapist.

Some storms do not go away quickly. To calm our storms, we need to keep working until the entire storm has dissipated. We can’t give up.

Our country has had many great leaders, and their greatness has been based on calming the storms. Washington, Lincoln, and the Roosevelts are some of my heroes because of how they faced adversity. Unfortunately, too many presidents have had no idea how to move smoothly through the inevitable storms, and we all pay the price. (See the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.)

Do you feel you have the tools to move through life’s storms? If not, seek agape.

PeaceLoveJoyHopeKindness

Bil

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P.S. People often ask me provocative questions about current events, both religious and secular. I have found that some of these questions are being asked universally. I’ll be periodically alternating regular articles with one of those questions and my answer. I invite you to send me your question to bilaulenbach@yahoo.com.

Photo courtesy of NASA/Paul E. Alers