Matthew 14:22-33

Year A - Pentecost +9 or Community Practice ⁹

August 10, 2014

Matthew 14:22-33

Earlier the Disciples had wanted to dismiss the crowd before feeding them. Here Jesus finally dismisses the crowd after they were fed.

This same dynamic is too often present today. Faithful disciples who have settled into their pattern of privilege, no matter how marginalized they may feel, set up conscious and unconscious pre-dismissal criteria. It is as if they really do expect folks to self-deport from their experience.

Just as they had earlier projected their limitations upon the crowd, they project on to the storm all their fear and tremblings, multiplying them to mis-see what was before their very eyes. Again, so many disciples are not able to agree on the effect of storms upon others, only themselves. It is so easy to fall into a persecuted mentality.

It appears the only way through our projections is to actually go through them to be able to look back and see them for what they were, barriers to growth. And so the limits placed upon community and communal miracles need to be experienced before they can enter into a new understanding. The limits placed by our emotions need to be acknowledged before we can step forward to ask questions and test them as accurate.

Two keys:

• Can we acknowledge the needs of and harm done to others or will we continue to deny the same and use our privilege to dismiss them from our awareness?

• Can we move beyond our limits to hear a new word of, “Come”?

Of course we will then have do deal with our tendency to then enshrine our expanded understanding and shrink the rest of the world to fit it. Yes, larger, but still too small.

Blessings to you as you practice first saying, “Welcome” and biting your dismissive tongue. Blessings to you as you practice responding to and invitation to grow, no matter how slightly.