i feel like i'm taking crazy pills!

The fourth watch of the night is when you hear monsters in your closet and under your bed. The shadows grow teeth and the wind speaks with an  accent. It's bad enough when you are on solid ground under your covers. Imagine you are floating on the water with the nearest solid ground many feet under water.  You can't tell where the water stops and the sky begins. You become painfully aware that the night terrors are not half half over. It is the time when all optimists become pessimists.

Jesus walks right into the maelstrom. Nothing is phasing him. The wind can't move him, the water can't envelope him. No teeth, no voices, no fear. (Mark 6:47-56)



And even though the light of the world walked to them they were blinded by darkness. They were gripped in terror and exhausted from pulling at the oars all night. They were relying on what they saw but they were all blind.

Three blind mice, three blind mice. See how they run!

Wouldn't you be? Wouldn't you be terrified if you saw a person walk on water?

Once in the boat the fear did not abate, even when given the command to take heart. They had hard hearts and their hard hearts made them blind.  They had done this to themselves it seems. God had hardened hearts before to display his power but here it seems that it was their own doing. For whatever the reason they couldn't see him for who he was.

But when they reached the shore, the crowd saw him, ran to him and brought their sick so that they may be healed.

This is Mark telling the story of Jesus at his finest. Those closest to Jesus don't get it but the crowds on the outside get it. The crowds bring the sick for healing, the inner group argues about who will be greatest. The crowds want to hail him as king, the inner group tells him to shut up he's crazy.

Do you see what I see?

Sometimes I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.