Walking on Water

Image Source: PS Ministry Blog (Plain and Simple Bible Reading)


Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, the four elements of nature, represent the natural limitations of mortal beings, the hard-core elements that any spiritual person must understand, respect and master if they are to exercise mind over matter and rise above the limits of the physical world.

Among these elements, the element of Water seemed especially magical to ancient philosophers, and water still fascinates scientists today. We now understand that water is not a single element but a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). Nevertheless, it's amazing stuff because it can take three forms: solid (ice), liquid (stream) or gas (steam). With gravity, it falls to Earth, yet with the heat of the Sun's fire it can evaporate, defy gravity and ride on the wind to heaven.

Clearly there is something very special about water that allows it to transform or transfigure itself, and it seems to be absolutely essential to life and the life-spirit. Without water one dies very quickly!

We are not surprised, then, to find in today's Biblical readings the theme of transfiguration mixed with references to the four elements. We begin with 1 Kings 19, an Old Testament reference to the prophet Elijah's mystical experience on Mount Horeb, where he encounters three of the elements (wind, earthquake, and fire).

Elijah discovers that the Lord (the master and giver of life) is not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire. Where then are we to conclude that the Lord resides?

In the New Testament reading that follows (Matthew 14:22-23) we find (surprise!) the miracle of Christ walking on the water. Having just performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, Jesus dimisses the crowd and climbs a mountain to pray. The disciples, meanwhile, pile into their boat and sail a few miles from shore, where they are tempest-tossed by waves because the wind is against them.

Later that night, after the fourth watch, they are startled to see Jesus walking across the water towards them.

Peter gets out of the boat, walks a few steps toward Christ, but becomes frightened and falls in. The disciples are so impressed by Christ's mastery of the element of water, that they declare "Truly you are the Son of God!"

To this day, Ninja warriors and martial artists like those in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon consider the sign of a superior man (hsien) to be self-discipline and physical training so rigorous and excellent that they seem to fly through the air and walk upon water.

The clear implication is that, through faith, one can strengthen one's body, mind and spirit to the point where the mind and spirit really do dominate nature and the elements. But one must have an extremely strong discipline and faith in the power of mind over matter!

"Oh you of little faith!" says the Christ to Peter, when the disciple Peter sinks into the water and calls for help. "Why did you doubt?"

For some amusing examples of modern-day disciplinarians and doubters trying to walk on water, see the following YouTube videos:

Walk on Water (Liquid Mountaineering). Strangely, trying to run on water has become a popular and a genuinely fun sport of self-discipline. Wearing wet suits and waterproof shoes, athletes learn that if you get a running start at a cold mountain lake and follow an oblique curve, moving your feet very quickly like a stone skimming the water, you can actually stay on the water's surface for more than a dozen strides. But you mustn't think about sinking -- "just go for it!"

Mythbusters - Walking on Water. Jamie uses corn starch with blue food coloring to create a non-Newtonian fluid (goo) that has enough viscosity and surface tension to allow Adam to run across the surface. When Adam's feet hit the surface of the goo, they temporarily creates enough surface tension to make it act like a solid. Jamie and Adam cannot imagine any other way to walk on water. Therefore they illogically conclude that it can't be done unless the water contains lots of blue, gooey corn starch. They don't believe in God or miracles (the power of mind over matter) and conclude the Myth is busted.

Oh ye of little faith! Why do you doubt?