"There's something in the water!"

I'm obsessed with Peter Pan. The obsession was created when I was eleven years old, right before monthly visits from "Aunt Flo from the Red Sea" or pimples, and heard of the fairytale for the very first time. When I watched the movie, Jeremy Sumpter basically sealed the deal. My obsession soon rubbed off on my two brothers, whom enjoyed a good adventure story as much as myself, and soon enough we were John and Michael and Wendy (or Tinkerbell, Hook, and Tootles, depending on our moods). Whenever we had control of the TV, we would watch the movie over and over and over again. So many times, in fact, that we had all the lines memorized and--we thought--recite them better than the actual characters themselves. ("Oh, the cleverness of us!")
One of my favorite scenes is when Wendy and the Lost Boys are captive on the pirate ship and they are about to walk the plank when Peter rescues them...disguised as a crocodile, Hook's greatest fear. It's very on edge, you know, for a kid's movie. Havoc and pandemonium are wreaked on the deck as the crew run around like beheaded chickens, so struck with terror by the combination of the unknown monster in the water and their captain, so beset on having them kill the beast. Above the pre-pubescent shrill screams, one pirate could be heard yelling, "There's something in the water!" That one statement expressed all the terror, horror, and confusion that the scene was impregnated with.
Now. I am in a play of Peter Pan. I have the role of Tinkerbell and over the past three weeks we have had rehearsals every, single. day. So The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up and his story have been on my mind. A lot. So this morning during church and the sermon (which was on "Facing the Storms of Life"), when the story of Jesus walking on water and calling out to his disciple Peter to come to him--on the water--was retold, I got such a better picture and understanding of what that encounter must have been like on the disciples part. Thanks to Peter Pan.

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It’s a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.'
'Lord, if it’s you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.'
'Come,' he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'"
-Matthew 14:22-33

"When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost!' they said, and cried out in fear." Can you imagine? I think we sometimes overlook the other disciples in this story since Jesus and Peter's walk-on-water stunt kinda demands our attention. But just think how terrifying and supernatural that night was for all of them. Peter might have been the only one to actually walk on water, but he also was the only one who believed the impossible thing coming towards them in the dark of the night was their Teacher; unlike his fellow disciples who just thought they were being visited by a ghost who was about to inflict a massacre. People walking on water? There's no possible way! I think I would have almost have rather it of been a ghost then that. I'm already scared of the dark, but think what it would have been like to be in the middle of a vast lake at almost the darkest time of night, stuck in some boat with your comrades while this supernatural approached you and your buddy, Peter, stepped out of the vessel to greet him! I think I would have handled the situation a lot more like the beheaded chicken pirates in Peter Pan, screeching, "There's something in the water!" over and over like the others didn't already very well know that, instead of bold Peter. (And not Pan, the apostle.)
They were so...petrified of the unknown. Of not being in the safety of a tiny boat. Isn't that ridiculous? They preferred the stability of a man-made sailboat over the arms of their Creator's Son and ultimate Savior. When it's phrased like that, I can see the folly in it. However, even still I envy Peter's bravery and faith to step out because I know that I wouldn't have been able to step out with him. I would have trusted what I knew even over the assurance of the Teacher who was Love and Terror and always Faithful. I would have missed out.
Later on today while I was at We Will Go and during the worship service, with the little revelation I had about the disciples and "something in the water" on my mind, we sang the hymn I Have Decided to Follow Jesus. Have you ever had those days where it seems God is just very nice, and has something so important for you to realize that He smacks it in your face...twice? I love those days. That was today.


"I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back."


"But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.' 'Lord, if it’s you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' he said." I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.
"Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" Though I may wonder, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him." Though none go with me, still I will follow; no turning back, no turning back.
"When the disciples saw him...they were terrified, [they] cried out in fear." Though none go with me, still I will follow; no turning back, no turning back.
"And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'" Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.
I am in utter awe of Peter and his faith. The Lord called out to him, and so he challenged, "If You really are who You say You are, tell me to come to You. Tell me to do something crazy. Show me your glory." How many times have I said the same things to God, but ended it at that. Spoken words. Peter requested, and when he was answered he answered by stepping out alone to the unknown in faith. He wouldn't settle for the stability and normalcy of the boat, he wanted something more; he wanted it so badly that he was willing to do the impossible. He stepped out of reality and safety and gave himself up just so that he could reach his Lord. And yes, he faltered and had to be saved, but still: he stepped out. There was something unreal in the water, something unsafe and unfathomable, but he still trusted in it.
Like Mr. Beaver said in C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, "Of course he's not safe. But he's good." While Peter's friends huddled in fear, and then most likely attempted to discourage him (and assuredly questioned his sanity), he had faith in his Teacher's goodness and risked the unsafe part.
I aspire to be more like Peter. I aspire to instead of spend the first half of any mission trip I go on crying out to God, "Why am I here?! Where are You?! This is scary!", but rather running straight towards the goal by not looking behind or to the side, just running straight ahead: to Jesus Christ.