The Wide Boundless Ocean

"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water,.." Luke 5:4a

“If you want to build a ship, don’t summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs and organize the work; teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Jesus' words to Peter are words for us as well. "Put out" are
words which convey Jesus' desire for Peter to reorient his focus from the shoreline in order to embrace where he wants him to go. "Into deep water" connotes abandon, surrender, and maybe even trusting obedience.

So why do these words seem so odd, especially when spoken to a commercial fisherman ? And how can they disturb the faithful
followers of Jesus some twenty centuries after they first echoed across the surface of Galilee?

I have to admit that I actually like the movie, "Castaway". Maybe this says more about me than I care to disclose. Each time I watch the film I find myself experiencing feelings of euphoria
when Tom Hanks' character burst free from his island prison. Through the aid of a port-a-john
sail, aboard their rickety wooden raft, Hanks and his faithful companion, "Wilson", are able to scale the breakwater and reach the open seas. Just seconds after they pierce their breakwater prison, crossing over to freedom, our eyes are forced to focus on what Hanks sees. The island which has been his home, his security, his sustenance .....slowly disappearing from sight.
The stringed music is somber as the island shrinks from sight. Soon there is only the vast ocean
to call home. Horizon serves as the only point of reference, and boundaries become non-existant.
This sounds a bit like following Jesus. The Master calls us to push out into the deep and off we go....The adventure of all adventures begins...... Saint-Exupery is correct. Having the right tools, organizing the process, and delegating the responsibilities will never put us out into the deep. Waiting until the risks are minimized and safety is maximized will keep us on the shoreline the rest of our lives. It comes down to obedience. Availability trumps ability every time.

And so I ask, "Sailing anyone?"

In Christ,
Jon(the methodist)