Across the Lake

Gospel: Matthew 8: 18-22

Throughout the Gospels there is the continual travel across the Sea of Galilee to "the other shore." Movement across bodies of water represent enlightenment, insight, and illumination in the spiritual life.  The invitation to cross over to the other shore is an invitation to advance in the spiritual life, to grow deeper in one's relationship with God and others.

As in the Gospel so in life we find people who claim to want to make this trip but find reason to avoid it.  The scribe is so wedded to tradition that he thinks tradition is God and so cannot achieve any new insight or illumination.  The disciple thinks his own work is that of God and cannot see beyond his own self-interest.  Neither can accept the invitation to cross over to the other shore; neither can find enlightenment and a deeper relationship with God.

The journey across the sea will involve experiencing the storm at sea and the challenge of walking on water.  These are necessary challenges to our faith, essential to illumination and intimate relationship with the Lord.  What is on the other shore is less important than the lessons we learn along the way, for the journey itself provides enlightenment, illumination, a deeper relationship with God and one another - and that is the other shore itself.