Article May 2, 2005 Issue

Walk on the water side

Life-changing spiritual growth can result from attempting things that seem impossible. For this writer, the first step is getting out of the boat and following Christ.

By Ron Mangelsdorf

WHEN I WAS a young boy, my dad and I once had a long talk about our religion, Christian Science. While I don't recall any of the specifics of that conversation, I do remember feeling inspired by it. So much so that I went up to my mom and professed, with a certain childlike bravado, that some day I was going to walk on the water!

Forty-five years have passed since that conversation, and I'd forgotten all about my childhood pronouncement until a friend recently mentioned a book titled If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg. It was the last part of the title that intrigued me the most.

What did getting out of the boat really mean? I wondered. After all, a boat is often thought of as a place of safety and protection, so it could make more sense to want to stay in the boat. But could the security of a boat lead to a false sense of comfort, even complacency? Might it deprive one of exciting opportunities that lie outside the boat?