Falling out of boats

Reflection for Morning Prayer July 28, 2024 Trinity by the Sea

Some of you may not remember the first time you stepped onto a boat, or more to the point, the first time you fell out of a boat. Most of my falling-out stories are from the San Marcos River misjudging an eddy around a bend, the bow pulled suddenly in the opposite direction from what I expected, then pushed sideways up against a submerged root that gives loft to the bow sending two paddlers into the drink. Fortunately, all of those occasions eventually ended with laughter.

Then there are those moments of non-commitment, like standing one foot on a log that had fallen across the river, foot in the canoe, and quickly realizing the mistake. A similar thing can happen on the docks here, at least with smaller boats. Stepping into a boat takes commitment. One foot on land and one in the vessel is a short-lived exercise in balance and stretching beyond the ability of most yogis. Be on land or in the boat, not in both places at once. 

The people in today's gospel story are no longer one foot in, one foot out. They are on a

quest to know more about Jesus. They know there is something special about this man, this rabbi who heals and feeds and teaches with authority more sacred than most of the religious leaders they have heard. They want to go along with him, to follow him, to learn the Way Jesus teaches. So, they get in the boats to look for Jesus. In last week’s gospel reading they found him and they were fed more than they expected; they know he can feed them spiritually and physically. They want more, they start to follow. But what do they want more of? What do we want, here in our boat with Jesus? What are we seeking as we sail along? Sometimes we are just learning to ask the right questions.

The crowds in the gospel want a sign, they want proof, something they can hold to show, “I was there when…” Jesus resists their request and simply offers himself. Not a trinket or magic trick, not a signature on a ticket stub. He offers transformation. He shows with his life and teaching that there is another Way to be in the world, but not of the world. He is the Way that leads to new wisdom, he is the Truth that reveals God’s eternal love, he is Life that opens eternal life. We learn as we go. Sometimes we just want to be able to say, yes I’m following. After a while the following leads us to new understanding, to begin to see the world as Jesus sees it. Sometimes we have to make a mistake and be forgiven to learn. 

On my friend Rod’s daysailer, far downstream from San Marcos, I stood on the bow casting into the shallows as we sailed along the intra coastal. I was paying more attention to where I was casting than where I was standing when Rod yelled, “Hold on!” too late, and I yelled, “I’m going in!” as I lost balance, fell overboard, and watched our boat sail by as I held my fishing pole aloft. Sometimes even when we think we’ve committed to the boat, we still fall out. I have, and you probably have to, but there’s always a chance to get back on, learn the lesson, and keep sailing.