Walking on water

I am beginning to try a new way of reading parts of the gospels. Imagining myself to be one of the central characters in the narrative & using the biblical text as my basis. Last week I read Matthew 14:24-31from Peter's perspective.........


We were out in the boat, that dark time just before dawn. There was no storm, but it was windy - lots of 'white horses' on the lake. Jesus had gone to pray - an all-nighter again, but we were used to Him doing that.

Then we saw something coming towards us as we were in the boat, something light, but not a light, just lighter than the darkness we expected. It looked like Jesus, but it couldn't be could it - He was praying on shore & there was no boat. Was it a spirit He had sent? Yet it looked just like Him, the closer He got.

Someone in the boat called out to the figure, we were a bit spooked by this point. It was Jesus - He told us not to be afraid & said 'I AM' Yahweh - that shook us, but only in that way that you'd known something, but not completely known it, just not fully realised it. At theat point it made perfect sense to me, He was at the dawn of creation as part of the GodHead, so, of course He can walk on water, He can do whatever He likes for His power over His creation is faultless.
I want to see what it's like to walk on water, so I call out that if it really is Jesus, call me to come to Him. I knew it was Him - who else could it be? I stepped out of the boat on to the water, it felt funny - a bit like being on a bed filled with water, or in a boat made of tarpaulins. I began to walk to Him, keeping Him in my gaze, then one of those white horses lapped over my feet & my legs & I freaked out - if that had happened it meant I was beginning to sink. At that point I was terrified I was going to die - why do I do stupid things like this, I should have stopped & thought before I got out of the boat - I'm a fisherman, I can't walk on water for goodness sake. I screamed out to Jesus in terror.

I must have been nearer to Him than I thought because He reached out His hand & I was fine, I was stood next to Him on the water. When He asked what I was afraid of, telling me I shouldn't have doubted, I couldn't state the obvious, (Er, the waves, walking on water, sinking etc.) because He was still holding my hand & nothing in all of creation was as safe as Him holding on to my hand. Why had I freaked? He was there, there isn't any need to freak whist His right hand is there holding mine!

We climbed back into the boat, but I was subdued by this point, trying to assimilate just what had happened, but also the knowledge I now knew of who Jesus was, is & evermore shall be!


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