Do any of you know what tacking is? It’s how you sail into the wind. It’s sailing in a zig zag pattern to catch a bit of wind in your sail, and then switch to the opposite direction when the sail starts to flutter. You cut across the wind diagonally because it’s impossible to sail directly into the wind. It takes a great deal of effort and attention. When tacking, if you zig too soon, or zag too late, you’ll be stuck in the water without any wind. When tacking, if you zig too soon, or zag too late, you’ll be stuck in the water without any wind. And yet, Peter forgot about the wind.
Imagine that, spending all your energy fighting something and then being able to forget that struggle, because your beloved teacher showed up. And then Peter does an amazing thing, and I don’t mean walking on the water. Impulsive Peter doesn’t just rush out to meet Jesus, he asks Jesus to command him to do so. And then he waits for Jesus to say, “come.”
The world feels kind of screwed up and crazy right now. It seems like there are too many things to address at once. And our efforts may seem minimal and fruitless, like tacking into the wind, where you advance very very slowly. And it’s easy to burn out that way. In fact burnout is inevitable unless you rely on something more powerful than yourself.
And before I jump into the metaphor of forgetting about the wind, I want to be clear I don’t mean sticking your head in the sand. Peter didn’t forget about the boat or the water, he forgot about the wind. He forgot for a bit what was against him. He forgot about the obstacles, the impediments, the things working against him. And he called on Jesus to tell him to do the impossible.
With his focus on Jesus, on God, he effortlessly did what shouldn’t be possible. And the minute he remembered the wind, he couldn’t do it anymore. Because acting out of fear, being reactionary will cause more problems than it solves. There are many people who will tell you the opposite of love is fear, and while I wouldn’t go that far, Jesus and the angels do often say, “Do not be afraid.” To that I will add, “Listen for the call.”
Because for once, Peter checks his impulse and wait to see if Jesus wants him to try this. This is called discernment. Some sort of quieting the mind, forgetting the wind needs to happen; listening for that still small voice. Play the scenario out in your mind, not out of fear, but to check the feeling in your gut. Will this bring us closer to the light or life? Or will this take us into the dark, the way of death. Then check it out with some trusted friend or spiritual guide.
Jesus does not mince words about the wind being against us. To live as a Christian, a lover and follower of Jesus, will get you in trouble with family and authorities, or at the very least invite their scorn. The authorities are not with us. And that’s frightening enough, without the information overload of all the problems throughout the world.
Do not fear the wind, in fact Jesus tells us to love the wind. Jesus does not mean be nice and polite to the wind. He doesn’t mean stop tacking and sit still in the water. In fact even though it takes great effort, tacking is very much like loving the wind. Okay wind I want to go that way and you’re fighting me. What if I just sail sideways and let you push me that way, maybe even fooling you that going sideways at an angle is actually pushing me forward. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
