Sunday, August 7, 2011
“Take heart – it
is I. Be not afraid.” “Come.”
The Rev. Rebekah Bokros Hatch
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Alpharetta, Ga.
Beginning with Monday of
last week, and extending throughout the month of August, children in
our midst are heading back to school. Some are returning to the same
schools they were in last year; many of them to the same group of
friends. No new building to get used to; no immediate need to make new
friends and allies (although, those alliances change, I hear, over the
summer and without warning). Even still, there are new dynamics to
navigate and take in. Certainly new teachers, new skills, new ways of
being and doing. There are new fashion trends, new collection
fetishes. A new school year is thrusts children into a new world.
How much more when beginning elementary, middle or high school.
Everything is new! For my soon-to-be kindergartner – beginning on
Wednesday – the whole notion of going to school every day and staying
for nearly eight hours is all foreign. Following directions,
negotiating social arrangements. I get anxious even talking about it.
Yet, each year, we thrust our children into this environment. Each
year, we have no qualms convincing, often emphatically, that this
transition is fun and exciting. “You’ll learn so much!” “You’ll meet
so many new friends!” “Your teacher will be so nice.” Knowing full
well, all the while, that if adults were asked to do the same, we
would look for other options. Once a year – new people, new space, and
new set of skills to master. No thanks.
But, children do it. They take it on. They face what seems like a very
fearful proposition, and they often thrive. There are often struggles
and bumps along the way, but in the end, most children acquiesce to
this whole arrangement. An arrangement that not many of us would find
attractive.
There are many reasons why children are capable of doing this type of
thing, whereas adults would balk. Children are resilient. Children are
also accustomed to a life where its de rigeur to be thrust into a new
situation; to be put on the spot; to be told at the last minute that
things are changing. They are, by their very nature, more flexible
than adults. But, many children get through these times of uncertainty
and anxiety, because, in the best of all possible worlds, children
have support. Many children climb on the bus and tumble out of the car
knowing that their parents are routing for them, loving them through
their days, willing to do anything to make it all work. Many children
feel that same support from their teachers. This certainly isn’t the
case for all children everywhere – though it should be – but, for many
children, one of the reasons why it works to get shoved out into the
world is because they know that, in the end, they aren’t really all
alone. And they believe it.
This morning’s lectionary offers two stories about men venturing out
on their own: Joseph, having been sold by his brothers to the
Egyptians, finds himself thrust into a foreign world, where everything
he knows is about to fall away. And, in Matthew’s Gospel, Peter.
Peter, who ventures out on his own, as he continues his journey with
Christ, as the author of Matthew’s Gospel continues to tell us about
Christ.
Joseph, the dreamer, the one who wears the coat of many colors. Joseph
the favored one. Yet, Joseph the despised one. Joseph’s brothers are
taken over by greed and jealousy – they are sick and tired of hearing
about his dreams, his father extolling Joseph’s strengths and prowess.
They are done with it all, and reason hasn’t made sense up to this
point. So, they come up with a plan. A plan to kill him.
But, then Reuben pipes up. Oh, Reuben with such reasoned thoughts and
logical planning skills: Let’s not kill him. Let’s dig a hole and
leave him there. The brothers strip Joseph of his clothing – his
precious coat – a drop him into the pit. With no water, and presumably
no way out, Joseph will soon die.
But, then Judah pipes up. What good is any of this? How does it
benefit us? Let’s not drop in a pit to die; let’s sell him! Great
idea, Judah! So, they do. They sell him to the Ishmaelites. And, off
Joseph goes to a unknown future; and unknown fate. What we know is
that Joseph is sold by his brothers, he enters and unknown world where
he gains power through his gift of his dreams and he eventually comes
back to his brothers – and what a reunion that is. Yet, in this
moment, Joseph has no idea about that future. Neither his brothers. He
is led away by the Ishmaelites, with only his faith in God, and love
for God to sustain him.
Peter is in much the same place. No, he’s nowhere under duress. But,
Peter isn’t an easy study. Perhaps mentally, he’s in the same place
Joseph is physically. Sometimes it seems like Peter is struggling with
whether to embrace that world around him and come to terms with it; or
whether to leave for another unknown and risky fate. He’s surrounded
by the disciples and Jesus, and he struggles with that.
In a usual fashion, the disciples and Jesus are together after crowds
have dissipated, and they see Jesus walking on water, walking towards
them. Their first thought – as would be ours – is that Christ was a
ghost. Yet, this was not the case. After reassuring the disciples –
“Take heart, it is I.” – Peter makes the choice to try these fancy
moves, and he joins Jesus.
Like so much of Scripture – the story of Abraham and Isaac being one
of these many examples – this story about Jesus, and Peter and walking
on water is not a journalistic account. Science has changed and
evolved over the last 2,000 years, but even in the time of Jesus, it
was pretty clear that one could not walk on water. If this were a
story about walking on water, Jesus would be giving the disciples
clear instructions – as a magician might to his apprentice. Perhaps
guidance on salt content and depth of water and sand bars.
But, Jesus’ words aren’t about how to walk on water; Jesus’ words are
about faith and fear. Jesus’ word are about his presence.
Again, this isn’t a story about walking on water; this is a story
about Jesus and its always up to us as interpreters of Scripture to
continue that process of discernment. What does this story say about
Jesus?
Mostly, it says, that Jesus is there. Jesus is present, calling us
into companionship with him, and waiting for us to take the first
step. “Take heart – it is I.” Not a ghost, not an optical illusion. It
is Christ, offering to take us through the most fearful places of our
lives.
Joseph and Peter and children throughout our community are being
thrust into circumstances and situations that are full of fear and
uncertainty. Yet, Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that Christ promises to
be there in those scary and unsettling places. Its up to us to see him
there.
Anna Carter Florence, Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological
Seminary, says this:
“Jesus is the one who will walk on water to save us. Jesus is the one
who calls us over the tumult. Jesus is the one who reaches out a hand
to pull us into the boat. Jesus is the preacher in the perfect storm.
It is not up to us to walk on water. It is up to us to hear the call,
and then to believe that it is not a ghost, not the Tempter, not our
imaginations playing tricks on us, but really and truly Jesus. When we
are in the middle of a storm, Jesus is the one who comes.”
It is amazing that Jesus walks on water. It is amazing that Peter
eventually follows and Peter himself walks on water. The ability to
walk on water doesn’t get you very far though. The clarity of mind and
heart to recognize and follow Jesus, does. The clarity and faith to
recognize Jesus and follow him gives us the strength to leap into fear
– much like starting on the first day of school – and fall into his
arms, knowing that we are supported and loved. Lifted up in our doubt
and fear. Not by ghosts or self-help gurus or visions. But by Christ.
“Take heart – it is I. Be not afraid.” “Come.”
©
The Rev. Rebekah Bokros Hatch.
All Rights reserved.
