No ice

Today's Gospel (John 6:16-21) contains one of the accounts of our Lord walking on the water.

Someone recently made a media splash by implying that Christ could have been walking on ice that was not visible to the disciples. Even the author of this idea admits it would have involved a very rare phenomenon in that locality and that he cannot prove that this is what happened with Jesus.

The idea is more ludicrous that he admits. The event takes place around the time of the multiplication of the loaves when the grass is green (Mark 6:39) and the weather is described as stormy: hardly suitable meteorological circumstances for floating ice patches that can be walked upon.

We also know that in one instance of our Lord walking on the water (Matthew 14:29), he enables Peter to walk on the water (until Peter is overcome by his own fears).

Such ideas are floated (so to speak) by those who deny the existence of miracles or anything that cannot be explained by science. Of course, most honest scientists will admit that human science is a long way from being able to explain everything.

Human science, of course, reveals to us much about the created world in which we live and it enables humanity to do many good things (as well as some terrible things), but the ultimate mysteries of life, death, and the universe are intrinsically beyond the reach of empirical science.

The fundamental meaning of our Lord walking on the stormy water is that he as God is master of creation and all its mysteries: moving upon the face of the waters and pronouncing his name "I am."

No matter what storms there may be in our lives and what mysteries lie before us, we have unconquerable peace and comfort in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and in his words.

It is I. Do not be afraid.