Theological Truth: Trusting in the Way of Love allows us to both be saved and to be agents of salvation.
You may not know Clarence Crane, but I bet you knowt…and probably have tasted…his invention: Life Savers – the iconic hard candy with a hole in the center. Crane came up with it in 1912 as a result of his search for a candy more summer-friendly than chocolate. I always thought that they were called “Life Savers” because the center hole made them less susceptible to choking accidents, but apparently it had more to do with the fact that the pill machine used to manufacture them made them look like miniature life preservers. In any event, Life Savers have been around for over a hundred years now, perhaps because of savvy marketing, but possibly because we know it’s important to have lifesavers in our lives.
I’ve been thinking about lifesaving after seeing a story on CNN about a teenage lifeguard whose actions saving a young swimmer on a Santa Cruz beach were captured on video. It’s an arresting scene, probably because of the contrasting images. There’s the lifeguard, recognizable by his swim trunks and flotation device. But he’s only 16 years old, all elbows and knees. And then there’s the child, only six years younger than him, limp and lifeless.
In the video, the young lifeguard has a vicelike grip on the child and is attempting to drag him to shore, but the waves continue to pummel them, pulling them back into the dangerous water. Onlookers try to help, but the surf pounds them too, inhibiting their progress and leaving the lifeguard alone clinging to the child, wave after punishing wave. Eventually another lifeguard comes to assist and together they make it safely to shore, where the child fully recovers, and that teenager goes from being a lifeguard to a life saver.
The thing about lifeguards/lifesavers, is that we don’t think we need one until we need one. And then, hopefully, thankfully, there they are. All of us, at one time or another, need saving, don’t we? Haven’t each of us experienced the limits of what we can do for ourselves, and then needed to rely—even if hesitantly—on someone to save us? Maybe it was a medical emergency? Or a relationship failure? Perhaps we ventured too far from shore—literally or metaphorically—and into unsafe waters? Or maybe someone abandoned us—physically or emotionally—to fend for ourselves? What was that like? How did it feel to both need saving, and to be saved?
Well, you could ask Peter. Jesus walking on water is more than an impressive parlor trick. It isn’t only about Jesus’ power; it’s about his power to save. And not only from death and drowning, but from living alone, abandoned and afraid. He saves us from a life tossed by self-doubt, overwhelmed by fear of abandonment, and darkened by disconnectedness. He restores us to the type of relationships, with both our God and one another, that give us life, real life-giving life.
Dr. Sue Johnson, clinical psychologist and author of the bestseller and imminently helpful book, Hold Me Tight, says “the key question in our love relationships is, ‘Are you there for me?’ This translates to, ‘Do I matter to you? Can I reach you? Are you accessible, emotionally available to me? Can I rely on you to respond when I need you?’” (The Hold Me Tight Workbook, p. 17). In today’s story, Peter gets all these lifesaving questions answered positively and unmistakably….and so do we!
Notice first that Peter and the other disciples had some reason to feel abandoned. Jesus had sent them ahead while he dismissed the crowds. He took some time alone to pray and reflect. The disciples went ahead, just as Jesus told them to do. Sometimes in our spiritual life, we may feel like God is distant and unavailable. It’s even worse when we haven’t done anything wrong. We may, as Mother Teresa discovered, feel detached from God even while doing the very things God has asked us to do.
But eventually, Jesus shows up for the disciples in the most astonishing way: walking on the water. Defying the laws of physics. Scaring even the heartiest of fishermen. The same is true for us. When we feel alone, we are more susceptible to fear and threats. The disciples think they’re seeing a ghost. But Jesus quickly reassures them: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” He was never far away. They were never abandoned or forgotten. As Paul writes to the church in Rome, “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (10:7). You can feel the disciples growing sense of relief: Jesus is available to them; they are important to him. And so are we.
That assurance is life changing. With that deepened sense of connection, Peter is willing to live more fully into the possibility of life with Christ; more courageous in joining Jesus in the world…and on the water. He gets out of the boat, leaving all the limitations and false sense of security it provides. He walks on water, he does what Jesus does, he too defies the ways of this world that seem incontrovertible. This is what we too can do when we are locked in and trust our connection that the Word has become flesh and dwells among us. We too can defy the ways of the world and walk in the footsteps of Jesus for the life of the world.
But you know what happens next. Peter gets distracted by the winds and waves all around him. He loses that life-giving, world-defying connection and he begins to sink. But even here, in his desperation, Peter learns and teaches us the most important lesson of all: Jesus is available; Jesus is capable; Jesus is dependable; we matter to him. Peter trusts this with his life, not only in that he gets out of the boat, but more importantly, when things fall apart, he immediately calls out, “Lord, save me!” And Jesus reaches out and catches him.
I hope we can hear this anew today. When things fall apart in our lives, Jesus is available and dependable. We matter to God. Trust this. Live this. Do not be afraid. Try new things. Get out of the boat. And if you start to sink, remember Peter’s short and powerful prayer: Lord, save me! We do matter to God. Jesus is there for us, always ready to catch us and save us and return us to the life that is really living. So, grab a few Life Savers on your way out, not only for eating, but to remember the simple prayer that changed Peter’s life and can do the same for us: Lord, save me! The lifesaving Word of God is indeed very near us, on our lips and in our hearts. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
