JESUS EMULATED GOD AT CREATION WHEN HE WALKED ON WATER

I have come to accept the fact that I am a neophyte when it comes to understanding even some of the more popular Biblical stories. You know, things that we commonly read over with acceptance and never think to question the intended meaning.

For instance, everyone knows of the story of Jesus walking on water when he approached his disciples as they struggled in a boat against the churning waves of a storm. But why did he go out to them when he could have just calmed the storm from the shore? Is there deeper meaning to Jesus traversing the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee?

In reading the recent work of Dr. Nicholas Schaser, professor of New Testament and Jewish studies, I find that there was in fact a reason for Jesus taking the walking-on-water route.

Schaser readily agrees that at first glance, it is not clear why Jesus felt the need to traverse the stormy waters. Not long before this night, he had calmed the raging sea with no more than a word (see Mk 4:35-41) -- why not do the same again? 

"In this case, the Gospel highlights Jesus’ choice to walk on the waves as a deliberate recollection of what God did at creation," the professor explains. "Mark’s Gospel states that Jesus “went (ἔρχομαι; ἔρχεται) to them, walking upon the sea (περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης; peripaton epì tes thálassa)” (6:48)." In other words, he wanted to demonstrate his God-given authority for the benefit of his closest followers.

It is explained further that each of the Greek

terms in parenthesis above also appears when God questioned Job as to what he knew about the cosmos. The Lord alluded to divine activity at creation, asking, “Have you went upon (ἦλθες… ἐπὶ) the springs of the sea (θαλάσσης; thalásses) or walked (περιεπάτησας; periepátesas) in the recesses of the deep?” (Job 38:16 LXX). 

The narrative earlier in Job affirms that God had traversed the oceans before humans were created, saying of God, “You alone stretched out the heavens and trampled on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8).

Every description of Jesus’ life in the Gospels has theological meaning that is related to the story of the God and people portrayed in Israel’s Scriptures. 

"Jesus decides to walk on water because this is what God did at the creation of the world," Schaser emphasizes. "The disciples, of course, do not make the connection -- to the contrary, they’re terrified because they think they’ve seen a ghost (Mk 6:49)."

However, the attuned Bible reader can now know what the disciples missed in the moment; namely, that the Lord had conferred the authority over creation to Jesus the Son of God.

Just thought that, like me, some of my readers would like to know why Jesus chose to walk on water instead of simply performing his miracle from the shore. Certainly an enlightened way of looking at it, to my way of thinking.

WALKING AWAY VS. GIVING UP: ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT

I was once labelled an activist, innovator doer in a personality test I undertook and, looking back, I guess that rather rudimentary assessment pretty well nailed it. But certain aspects of that diagnosis(?) have always made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

Without apology, and in spite of some pretty gratifying traits otherwise, we AID people have been known to purposely walk away from certain difficult or compromising situations in life, often before realizing the actual fruits of our labor, if in fact there were any.

In my mind I have always struggled with the prospect of being a quitter, unable to finish what I started. But let's back up a little and take a second look.

I was only 17-years-of age when for the first time I realized that I did not have to accept circumstances that were contrary to my comfort level and peace of mind. Acting on newly discovered sense of resolve, I deemed it necessary to walk away almost simultaneously from two situations that had become intolerable in my still formative stage of life. In reality, it would be the beginning of the rest of my life, for better or worse. Early indication that I alone was in control of my destiny.

Initially, with resolve I had never before experienced, I found myself walking away from writing final exams in my fifth year of high school because I knew the prospects of passing were hopeless. I was not a happy camper in high school -- I'd already failed once before, teachers were giving up on me and I could not cope with at least one more year of a day dreaming, slow learner's misery in not making the grade. The relief I felt in the end was unmeasurable. I was simply not gifted academically and I had to find ways of compensating in order fulfill myself in life.

In a matter of months, I further decided to quit my $22-a-week dead end job in a men's clothing store and to leave my family home for good, just two months shy of my 18th birthday. I was an only child, my father having passed away four years prior, and my relationship with my mother had become increasingly toxic (in all due respect, I think she saw the writing on the wall and released her apron strings with minimal resistance). Hence, I set out to satisfy a boyhood dream of playing professional baseball -- and learning from the never-fail school of hard knocks as I stumbled along.

Not intentionally setting a pattern so early in life, I would eventually go on to utilize God-given abilities in successfully climbing ladders in two diversified communications careers over a 40-year period, but in the end walking away from both of them. In essence, ideally taking one step back in order to take two giant strides forward elsewhere. 

Similarly, with a tendency to involve myself in the areas of sports organization, community service and church support ministry, I often withdrew participation because I did not relish personality conflicts, opposition and dismissal that went with the territory, generally contrary to my belief system. In other words I left others to water seeds I'd planted. 

To me life was just too short and there was no future in dying a thousand deaths over giving time and effort to something that appeared to be unappreciated and ultimately beyond me.

Admittedly, in walking (or stepping) away, people are naturally left behind in the process; often failing to understand the reasons for your desperate action. Indeed, there is a price to be paid and the potential to lose previously professed friends is one of them...A calculated risk, to be sure. All part of the pros and cons to be considered before taking self-removal action.

After extensive soul-searching, aided by some necessary self-help research, I have concluded that often the only difference between walking away from something or giving up on something is the way in which we judge the scenario. It is easy to feel sometimes that not completing an undertaking is equivalent to giving up.

It is likewise very easy to stick with something for fear of what can readily be judged as giving up and being a certified failure. 

Forcing yourself to stay with something and pushing through to the bitter end definitely can have potential for doing more harm than good. Ignoring inner truth can lead one down all sorts of strange paths.

So often in life, we’re quick to jump to conclusions and judgments about ourselves and other people. This does not do us any good either. There is a human need to walk away from situations, people and environments that do not serve us. We owe it to ourselves, to be honest in life about what we do and what we do not want and after serious consideration make the bold decision to walk away, if necessary, in order to preserve sanity.

It is a part of being accountable for our happiness to be able to make choices about our lives that are in our best interests.

Walking away is having the confidence to say enough is enough. It is doing what’s best at the time. It is moving on with empowerment, rather than a defeated state of mind.

At least that's the way I've convinced myself to see it anyway. Call it self-justification if you will.

TODAY'S EXERCISE: PICK UP YOUR PENCIL, DRAW GOD

A Philosophy of Religion Professor would deliver a lesson at a specific time each semester that always baffled her students. Yet she discovered it often provided a deeper insight into her students' thinking than formal testing or class discussion.

The professor presented the lesson during the third week of the course, thinking students began trusting her by then. The exercise would begin as she distributed sketch pads with the following instructions:

"Today, there will be no lecture. You will have the entire class to complete this assignment. Please turn in your paper as you leave the room. Now pick up your pencil and draw God!"

The response was always the same. First, there was laughter, then bewilderment, and finally, silence as they settled into the task. 

Given the instructions, what would you do? How would you draw God? Consider a few of the results: A potbellied man with a handlebar mustache, a perfect circle with a solitary dot in the center, and a rough copy of Michelangelo's masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel. And as always, biblical imagery including a burning bush; a whirling cloud; an illuminating burst of light – and, of course, the Cross. 

Think about it. Would you be up to the assignment?

STOP STRESSING OVER THINGS WE CAN'T CONTROL

No more pulling my hair over matters that are beyond me.

I can state unequivocally that I have stopped worrying about things that are completely beyond my control. Especially the matters that will carry over well into the future long after I have departed this worldly compound.

In no special order, things like... 

-- other people

-- global climate warming

-- environmental pollution

-- controversial emergence of a New World Order

-- increasing cost of living

-- growing distrust of all government and politicians

-- man's inhumanity to man

-- unjustified war and destruction in many parts of the world

-- what makes madmen like Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump really tick and why do they appeal to a certain segment of society

-- ever increasing numbers falling away from church membership

-- ongoing strife between unions, corporations and government

-- and whimsical annual questioning why my Blue Jays and Maple Leafs find ways to disappoint fans in the playoffs (some of the pain relieved however by the 2022 Grey Cup winning Argonauts).

...To name just a few of the irritations that heretofore have driven me up the proverbial wall.

That is not to say, however, that I will discontinue following the said issues in the news of the day. I will simply afford soap opera, horror story status to the majority. In other words, entertainment when I have nothing else better to watch on TV or read in the newspaper.

The notion that I, in my small corner, have absolutely no influence on world affairs, is an obviously realistic one; but the saving grace is that I can still vent personal thoughts on Wright Lane...and that much provides a degree of release.

It is not too much of a generalization to suggest that worrying comes from the innate desire to be in control. No doubt about it, humans in general are eager to control their immediate environment, some even going so far as to harbor questionable influence on a broader scale.

But when you worry about things you cannot possibly have control over, then you let mental stress drain ability to cope rather than conserving that time needed to be at your best as you go about your daily priorities in life. In my experience, the more I've wished that I could control certain things, the more anxious I've become.

It’s hard not to care. But it is even more challenging to deal with the amount of energy worrying actually takes away from you.

THE KEY TO STOP WORRYING NEEDLESSLY, I THINK, IS to recognize what you can and cannot control. Once you grasp the concept, that’s when you can start taking the necessary steps to stop caring about them.

It is important to understand that there will be some situations in life that you won’t be able to change, and that doesn’t mean that you should give up. And it doesn’t mean that you should think any less of yourself or think that your life is ruined.

Mind you, drifting through life believing that you control nothing is just as damaging as believing that you can control everything. There’s a certain balance needed here.

From a young age, people are given the illusion of control, the belief that we can shape the world around us and customize it to our desires. We are told that we have the power to change reality, only if we work smart and hard enough.

This is followed by a lifetime of insecurities, stress, and anxiety. You can’t possibly go through life thinking that if you manipulate your surroundings and environment in the right way, you’ll be able to protect yourself from pain.

As I say, what you can control is you and how you react to issues of concern.

You’re the one in control, not of your destiny, but of the path you want to take. Continually stressing about uncontrollable variables will only take away from what is left of your peace of mind. Life is simply too short for any of that.

A DREAM ABOUT LOVE SHALL SUSTAIN ME

I HAD  an earth-shattering dream last night...

"So what's so earth-shattering about that? Most of us had dreams last night," you might well interject.

Well, you didn't allow me to finish dear friend. My dream was about falling in love again and it was complete with knock-your-socks-off passion and emotions that are experienced only once or twice in real life, if you are lucky.

The dream was especially meaningful for me because at my advanced age I had almost forgotten what true heart-felt, head-to-toe love feels like. Certainly, I had reconciled the notion that, thanks to Mother Nature, any hope of experiencing even a hint of that had long passed me by. Cruel acknowledgement, but devastatingly true for someone who had always placed significance on genuine, reciprocal love shared only between star-crossed partners in a committed relationship.

I will spare the intimate details, but in my dream I had been stripped of a good 50 years and the young lady involved in the heavenly scenario was naturally beautiful in every respect. It was love at first sight for both of us and I was hopelessly a goner from the word go. On cloud nine, as it were. There was magic in even the slightest touch of our hands. We blended, as only star-struck lovers can. The ultimate.

I loved and was loved. Desired and was desired. No better feeling in the world! An awaking reminder, perhaps, of what I twice before shared in real life. 

All too brief, the dream concluded happily but abruptly when we, innocently enough, sat down to one of my very welcoming and gracious late mother's famous pot roast dinners. The 'ultimate' approval, in my estimation.

Customarily groggy upon awakening and slow to activate arthritic, jaundice-afflicted joints, I found myself literally bouncing out of bed this morning -- a good two hours earlier than usual. I was strangely invigorated (maybe 'rejuvenated' is a better word) and couldn't wait to start my day. I had a story to write...I had the blessing of feeling love again, even if it was in a dream, and I hope it will be sufficient now to last until I pass over to the other side in the not-too-distant future. I pray the memory serves me well.

Bottom line, we need to feel love in order to go on living. And I'll gladly take it where, when and however I can get it, no matter how brief and even if it is in a dream.

Love is sustaining and it behooves us to hang on to it and to make the most of it, keeping the spark alive for as long as it lasts. Never take love, or each other, for granted because you'll miss it when you don't have it.

Love dies only when the spark flickers and finally snuffs itself out.

Trust me!

THROUGH HUMILITY WE CREATE BETTER SELVES

"It is hard to be humble," emphasized the writer of lyrics to an old country song before adding somewhat tongue-in-cheek "...when you're perfect in every way."

Of course, few people actually think they're perfect in every way. But it can still be pretty hard to be humble, especially living in a society that encourages competition and individuality.

Yet even in such a culture, humility remains an important virtue. Learning to be humble is of paramount importance in most spiritual traditions, and humility can help us develop more fully and to enjoy a richer life as a result.

At first sight, the ancient virtue of humility is not a particularly appealing one.

Deriving from the word humus (earth), it appears to clash with our current valuation of self-worth and self-realization.

But humility has nothing to do with meekness or weakness. And neither does it mean being self-effacing or submissive. Humility is an attitude of spiritual modesty that comes from understanding our place in the larger order of things. It entails not taking our desires, successes, or failings too seriously.

I could very easily go off at a religious tangent with this post and thereby lose the interest of the majority of readers. Instead, I opt for a simple secular approach based on common ordinary experience that I hope will be relatable. It is all about taking stock of, or coming to grips with, yourself in a humble self-emptying way. And, as I say, it is not always easy in today's self-actualizing, self-centred, dog-eat-dog world.

Indeed, it is not only hard to be humble, but it is hard to be humble in the right kind of way.

Personally, I am no angel...and in case you need reminding, neither is anyone else. One of the comforts, if you happen to be a believer, is that we of this earth are only human and there are very few saints among us. And no angels.

I have had to take ownership of mistakes I've made and sins that I have committed over the course of 85 years of doing it my way. And brother, there is a list as long as my arm! In the end, I have had to take ownership with all the humility that is within me. In the process, I have prayerfully sought, and mercifully received, forgiveness.

Still, in spite of best efforts to put the person I have become, or created, into new perspective, I find myself struggling with guilt (a human frailty) and have had to learn to go easy on myself. Still, trying to go to sleep at night is often a particularly vulnerable time when my mind tends to wander in directions I'd rather not go.

Reality checks are common in my existence.

So it makes perfect sense then if we at least once in our lifetime take personal inventory and in turn step back from the individuals we have created. Take a good look and let go of certain things that we see that are negative and worrisome in the overall picture. 

That most certainly is what creative people have to do from time to time -- whether painting a picture, making a sculpture or writing a story, they step back, relax and view their handiwork from a fresh perspective. And, I might add, reshaping or remodelling it if necessary. In other words, go back to the drawing board or do a re-write as befitting self-improvement expectations.

The wonderful thing to understand, and what comes to so many as a shock, is that you do not have to take yourself as a prepackaged product coming off the assembly line of life. There are certain unchangeable things you have inherited such as your coloring, your sex, your bone structure and mannerisms, but it is what you do with your biological self that really counts.

It is the personal obligation of all of us to create the individual we really want to be...and why shouldn't we do the best job of it possible while we still can?

Through hard-earned experience we've come to know what works and what doesn't. If we see something in ourselves that we do not like, chances are we put it there in the first place and we can remove it completely, or change it for the better.

It is all about a humble, soul-searching assessment of what we have created...and ideally in the end not having to lose sleep over it.

THERE IS MERIT IN SCREAMING INTO A PILLOW

It is clear that many people feel as though we are living in difficult days. Perhaps you are among them.

In an apparent response to that kind of mood, there was an amusing image portrayed in a popular magazine. Pictured in a department store is a shopper standing in front of an attractive display of neatly stacked pillows. The store clerk is pointing to the shelves as he says, “No. These are pillows for screaming into. You’ll find our sleeping pillows on the second floor.”

Difficult days truly do summon in us a variety of troubling emotions...And screaming into our pillows is a far better release than taking out our frustrations on those closest to us, or slamming our fist into a hard and unforgiving object.

Here's to ultimately fluffing out and releasing pent up emotions from that poor pillow...And a subsequent good night of sleep in the downy, pillowy comfort of dream land!

KEN WROTE FROM BEEN-THERE, DONE-THAT EXPERIENCE IN OFFERING CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ADVICE FOR MEN

Ken Wright

space for this post is turned over to my late father  Ken Wright (1899-1952). Ken was a regular contributor to the Chatham Daily News in the 1940's and in this column he had special Christmas shopping advice for men who were newly-wed in 1945. It is a special piece of work that I recall with fondness every year at this time and just as applicable today as it was when written some 75 years ago. You may also notice a similarity in the writing styles of father and son, not to mention inherited sense of humor.

By Ken Wright

This is in intended for men only. You ladies be good sports and don't read any further. What follows is for Hubby's eyes only.

What are you getting the little lady for Christmas fellows? You older chaps need no advice. You've learned the hard way and know the ropes. 

But you lads who during the course of the past year took on the status of "married man" , take a tip from me: Don't under any circumstances get the "better half" a cook book. No matter how beautiful the binding or how many recipes it contains, don't buy that for your wife for Christmas. I made that mistake a few years ago.

A pressure cooker or a nice lamp make lovely birthday gifts but I tell you, definitely do not give her a household item like that for Christmas and expect her to do back flips or even feign any degree of surprise or pleasure. I've made those errors in the past as well and have the scars to prove it. Items like that are about as risky as buying her a frying pan or a rolling pin that you may end up wearing for Christmas.

You cannot go wrong with any pretty little trinket, some inexpensive little thing for around, well, say, not too much and by all means not too little. Remember it is the spirit of the thing that counts -- as long as you don't buy the wrong thing. Buy the wrong thing and she will "box" it back up and you can just return it to the store the next day. That's what Boxing Day is for you know, and you do not want to fight the crowds to go there and do that.

Just keep your ears open. She may drop some little tidbit between now and then and that will be your tip. Don't expect her to hint, however, because women are not made that way.

You can come through this gift thing safely by exercising a little care, forethought and patience.

Merry Christmas fellows! And good luck!

Note from Dick: Ken, often a bear for punishment, took his own advice after he wrote this piece and a couple of days before Christmas that year he wisely returned a super-dooper orange juice squeezer he had purchased as a gift for my mother. We all had a Merry Christmas that year thanks to a quickly-substituted pair of nylons and a bottle of my mother's favourite perfume.