Drowning (almost) 101!

In the post-Resurrection Gospel of Lk. 24:35-48, we read of how Jesus appeared once again to the disciples breathing peace upon their frightened spirits!  Fear encompassed every part of their being.  Luke describes them as scared half to death – terrified, startled, troubled. 

Fear is part of our humanness – it can be an emotion that cautions us to the dangers that may make us vulnerable.  Fear can also be paralyzing and limiting as we are faced with options on our journey of life.

I recall that when I was between 7 and 9 years of age, I was afraid of water – especially, when I was supposed to swim at the city pool with my friends.  I signed up for swimming lessons again and again.  Every time the Station near the ropes in the middle of the pool was part of my test for the lesson, I quit.  The ropes, the deep water beyond the ropes, and my inability to touch the bottom, all added to my experience of being scared half to death!  One day, while standing at the edge of the pool (near the deep end) someone pushed me in.  I can feel even today what that experience of slipping into possible drowning had been – the surprise of the hands on my back, the coldness of the water, the sounds above the water, the pulsing of the water in my ears, my chest getting tighter and tighter as I tried to hold my breath.  I tried to reach up to the light above the water, but I was in too deep and there were too many other kids in the pool that made it difficult for me to grasp the edge of the pool.  I was running out of breath pretty fast – just taking in mouthfuls of chorine-tasting water.  The lifeguard, just about 6 ft. above me, finally noticed me, along with someone shouting, “Hey, someone’s drowning down there.”  The next thing I remember, I woke up in the lifeguard’s arms.  Cool!  I made it through.

Later – much later – in life, I met Sr. Rosie.  She was a certified lifeguard who promised that she could teach me to swim.  We went every Monday night for six months to the near-by college pool where she taught me how to swim like a minnow and to move on up to become a whale!  I found that when I could “go beyond the ropes,” I discovered that the deeper water carried me and it was easier to swim.  When I felt fearful or tired, I just turned over and floated!

So what does this have to do with discernment?  Everything!

Discernment is that process that calls for a willingness to be open; a willingness to face our fears; a willingness to look at them directly and ask:  “Who are you? Where do you come from?  Can we talk?” (Decision Making and Spiritual Discernment by Nancy L. Bieber)  One important movement in the process of discernment is the grace of willingness.  That is, the willingness to let go of resistance and to step into the deep waters of Call, courage, search, faith, and trust.  And when you feel overwhelmed with the flood of choices – just “turn over and float” with Centering Prayer, breathing exercises, quieting music, or just sitting still to hear God whisper, “Peace be with you.”

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear!

I often ponder the message on the side mirror on the passenger side of my car.  The safety warning at the bottom of the mirror reads: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. The science of this is: “Convex mirrors (ones that curve outward in the center) make objects appear smaller than they are, and by doing so show a larger field of view than the other types. They are often used in side view mirrors of cars to give the driver a better view of all the other cars in the vicinity.”

I think this is a great metaphor for encouraging the practice of the art of reflection in our lives.  We often think that just because the past is history, and what may have touched us in a good or not so good way, emotionally, spiritually, physically, or psychologically is over and done.  Sometimes we even quip, Out of sight, out of mind!  However, we can still hold onto some of these past events in our memories, dreams, imagination, and even down deep in our cells.  So then when we meet some person or event that triggers a memory or feeling, we find that things are truly closer than they appear.  I find that the practice of daily reflection will help to heal, bless, and move us on to “whole-ing” any and all of these life learnings. 

Living reflectively helps us to grow into honoring our feelings and letting them be our teachers so that we too, will be able to gain a larger field of view and notice that the challenges in life can also be gifts.  Although they are a part of our past journey, their power, energy, and wisdom  is closer than it appears.  “Reflection like this only needs to take a few minutes, but it can make a big difference to your ability to make wise choices.” (Margaret Silf)

The Breakfast of Champions!

The Gospel of John (21:1-14) describes how Peter declared that he was going fishing in order to deal with the traumatic events of the previous week.  His boat-buddies concur and go off with him. No doubt they are suffering a form of  PTSD.  They have survived one of the darkest trials in their lives, which probably has triggered deep anxiety, fear, and nightmares, to say the least.  I’m sure that we all can identify with this.  For when crisis or the unexpected creeps into our ordinary lives, we, too, make statements, such as, “I’m going for a walk,” or “I’m going shopping,” or “I’m going to go see my friend.”  We all have our own private ways of grieving or coping with the surprises of life that knock us off balance!

As this post-Resurrection story unfolds, Jesus provides a little tailgate party on the beach for his disciples.  In his gentleness, he inquires if they have caught any fish for breakfast.  They respond that they haven’t caught a thing after fishing all night. Certainly this was very unusual for them whose source of food and income was fishing.  So Jesus instructs them to cast their nets to the other side of the boat.  Now you’d think that a carpenter giving helps and hints to these skilled fishermen on how to catch fish is way out of his league! But in doing so, they immediately have a haul of fish of which they weren’t strong enough to pull in with their nets.  It is then that they become conscious -Tah-dah!-  and recognize Jesus on the beach - who simply lets them know that breakfast is ready!  A breakfast of champions made with a little charcoal fire and a side order of fish and bread to go.  These disciples are now not who they used to be and they are not who they are going to be!  They are witnesses of the Resurrection empowered by the Spirit. They will be sent out to carry on the mission of Jesus beyond the familiar, the certain, the secure, the routine, the everyday, the old way of doing and believing.  Their nets will be cast throughout the world to catch new believers!  They will now “champion the cause,” along with many women,  and give voice to the God who breathes out peace upon all creation and speaks forgiveness and mercy. Let it be, let it come to pass!

So in conclusion, I suppose discernment is something like this entire story. 

·     We like to find those places, people, and familiar activities that offer us comfort when we feel unbalanced, awkward within and without, anxious, weary, or just plain hesitant to act with courage and self-confidence when we have been nudged by the Divine to step out of our boats of security.

·     We sort of revert to familiar methods of saying certain prayers, or thinking a certain way about God’s plan for us, or who we think God thinks we are – when this call to a new way of being rattles our lives! 

  God invites us to take and eat the food of compassion and love through Word and Eucharist, and in turn share it through our ministries again and again. 

·   God just loves to rock our boat; meet us on the shore of our doubts; invite us to be nourished by Word, Wonder, and Wisdom; and to be witnesses in this world fraught with chaos, violence, and darkness. Let us all learn to speak forgiveness and mercy, and breathe out peace upon our world.  Amen.  ALLELUIA!  Hurry - breakfast is ready!