In today's Gospel reading, the disciples are languishing by the sea, doing not much at all. Peter decides to go fishing, and his friends join him. They seem listless and bored. They probably weren't expecting to see Jesus.
At dawn, they see a man standing on the shore. At first they don't recognize the risen Christ. When they do, Peter is so excited he dives into the water and swims for the beach.
It is interesting to note that in his final appearance to his first followers, Jesus appears much as he did when he first calls Peter, James, John and Andrew. They are fishing, apparently going nowhere. The call of Christ to "follow me" animates their lives so much that they literally leap at the chance to find the direction, meaning and purpose that Christ offers. It is as if they have been waiting for someone to show them how they might live richer, more rewarding lives.
Perhaps it is when we are searching for direction that we are most open to the call of God - whether for the first time in our lives or whether we have been on the journey of faith for some time.
The reality, of course, is that Jesus can come to us at any time, and probably does. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we are able to see him, or if we are too distracted to hear his voice or to notice his presence. If you're like me, you're often so busy with responsibilities and obligations that you don't take the time to look and listen for God's presence and God's direction.
When something happens to shake up those responsibilities and obligations - a job is lost, a relationship ends, or some other crisis takes place - then we look around plead for guidance. Like the disciples, we might not recognize Christ at first because we have grown accustomed to not expecting to see him.
The events of September 11, 2001, were such a time for millions of Americans. So, too, this week's tragedy at Virginia Tech. Time seems to stop. Assumptions about how the world operates are upended; values are questioned. People fill places of worship looking for guidance and direction.
In such circumstances, many make life-changing decisions, choosing to realign their lives more closely to the common good than to materialistic goals. Some make the decision immediately - like Peter jumping from the boat. Others make more gradual changes.
Such was the case for the disciples when Jesus was killed. Their plans and expectations were shattered. We all have, or will have, our own crises that cause us to question our choices and the path that they have put us on. Lent was a time for us to reflect on our lives' directions. Easter calls us to place our faith in the risen Christ, to follow him again out of a life of listless fishing and into a life of purpose and faith.
We may jump eagerly into a new life, or we may find that we change slowly over time. But, by the grace of God, we all will find our lives animated by that desire for direction, hope and redemption. Bill Peatman writes from Napa.
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