"Come"

----------------------/"Come":The Thoughts Of Peter Before Walking Toward Jesus


These are the best of times and yet
these are the worst of times
and its not just because you feel hamstrung wedged
between eleven other men
half prating endlessly about ghosts, the rest staring cautiously at the sea
unsettled because they don't know exactly what to do next
but its because you've begun to witness with regularity
miracle after miracle and metaphysical abstractions
translate into palpable routine pragmatic action
among peasant peoples – not kings and Roman Caesars;
sullen disheveled famished crowds somehow become
five thousand sanguine and hardy, merry and ceremonious
dancing men (with their wives and children)
full to their stomachs
without so much as a simple willing of effort, an insouciant
flick of the wrist
(or just the mere directive "take up your mat and walk" to
a chronically paralyzed man)
intimating that all of this phenomena is pretty much up for grabs
facile even
plausibly able to be mastered without magnificent complication
like everyone always presumes....or so it seems
but because the fault lies with you
and your tentativeness about conquering fears
and walking on the waves of the impossible
that as a child you were always taught to aspire to:
to dream
to grasp at the latch of difficulties to open the gate of opportunity
and walk through
you know you've always wanted this for yourself
to be the man that loved victory and disdained defeat
and because for the first time in your life
you have the very real chance to be this man you've always imagined
you could be (and your wife and your mom and dad)
and actualize every iota of latent potential
residing in your soul
the most wonderful moments lie just ahead
just outside this boat
the only problem is the convincing
the belief
(that there are no such things as limitations)
that you won't sink


---------------Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."