"lent 2010: save me"
mixed media collage on hardcover book board
march, 2010
gregory a. milinovich
this week in our lenten journey with peter we looked at matthew 14:22-33, the story of Jesus, and then peter, walking on water. i was struck by a few things in this text, not the least of which was the fact that Jesus wasn't walking on a flat glassy surface. matthew mentions the wind and the waves, so i picture Jesus bobbing up and down like a ghostly buoy. then i am amazed that peter wants to join Jesus out there on that mess, "Lord, if it's you, command me to come to you on the waves." and matthew tells us that peter steps out of the boat and begins to walk on water. amazing. breathtaking. exhilirating. and then peter "sees the wind," whatever that means, and he begins to sink through the surface of the sea. and his next words were, "leave me alone! don't touch me - i can do this by myself," right? wait, that's not what he said? he didn't say "i got this - i'm good"?
nope.
he seems to have instinctively shouted out above the whip of the wind, "lord, save me!" this makes me wonder about my own life - what do i do when i fail and falter and fall? do i go to God with the "lord, save me" prayer, or do i try to cover it up, hide it, or pretend it didn't happen? don't i rely on my own independence and abilities - my own determination to "do better next time"?
i want to be like peter. i want to walk on water, sure, but what's more, when i fall i want to rely on God's remedy. i want to put my feet down on new, unimaginable adventures, and i want to have my hands stretched towards the One who will rescue me when i fall.
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