The Lake - A Metaphor

Gospel: John 6: 16-21

The disciples decide to get into their boat to go to the opposite shore.  It is dark; Jesus is not with them.  In the midst of the journey the weather turns rough and the going is difficult.  They see Jesus walking toward them on the water.  They invite him into their boat, but he walks right by them.  At dawn they arrive at the shore and find Jesus waiting for them there.  

Is not this a metaphor for so much of our life? We set off on our tasks often in the dark, without a thought of the Lord being present with us or not.  Our task then gets rough and difficult and we become aware of God's presence.  We invite God into our boat, but is it because we really want God present to us or because we see God in utilitarian terms and invite God only when useful for us?

The journey of four miles takes us an entire night, but at dawn the Lord is present on the shore waiting for us.  We now look back on the previous night and the journey.  Before the Lord now we are ashamed.  We set off on our own, relying on our own lights, treating God as merely a transactional relationship in our life.  But God waits for us anyway, awaiting our arrival at the shore, waiting for our love and deeper commitment.  We are Nicodemus - in the dark, but moving toward light.