08/16/2026

A bout fifteen years ago, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. It was part of a school fundraising auction, and at the time, it seemed like a good idea. I was willing to give it a try- until the plane took off. Suddenly, we were all huddled together on the floor, with the side hatch open to the elements, and I found myself wondering what I had gotten myself into. My heart was racing. I had to force myself to go through with it. Then came the moment when there was no turning back. I jumped. Exhilarating!

That experience came back to me recently while reflecting on the Gospel story of Peter getting out of a perfectly good boat to walk toward Jesus on the water. The disciples are frightened when they see Jesus walking across the water. They assume they are seeing a ghost until Jesus reassures them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Then Peter says something remarkable: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” What strikes me is that Peter initiates the whole thing. Jesus doesn’t dare him to get out of the boat. He doesn’t challenge Peter to prove his faith by walking on water. Peter himself is so captivated by Jesus that he wants to be part of what Jesus is doing. “Command me to come to you,” he says. And Jesus says, “Come.” So Peter steps over the side of the boat and walks.

We sometimes talk about situations in terms of “sink or swim.” Peter’s situation was more like “sink or walk.” There is something exhilarating about that kind of trust. It happens whenever we stop holding back and take a significant step into the unknown. It happens in relationships when we finally allow ourselves to become vulnerable and commit
ourselves to another person. It happens when we make a major decision about a job, a family situation, or the future of our children. It happens whenever we recognize that a decision has consequences and yet decide that it is worth taking the risk.

There comes a moment when we realize, “I am really doing this.” It can be frightening. It can also be exhilarating.

Our life of faith has many moments like that. Faith is not simply about believing certain things or fulfilling a list of
religious obligations. Faith is fundamentally about trusting God enough to respond when he calls us to take a step.

Sometimes that step is very ordinary. We decide to make prayer a more regular part of our lives. We begin attending Mass more consistently. We make a serious effort to become more patient with the people around us. We reach out to someone who needs our help. We finally decide to let go of an old resentment or bad habit.

Sometimes the step is much bigger. We forgive someone who has hurt us. We ask for forgiveness ourselves. We make a difficult decision because we believe it is the right thing to do. We accept a new responsibility even though we are not sure we are ready for it. And sometimes we look back and realize that something has changed in us.

There can be an exhilarating sense of freedom when we recognize that we have overcome something that once seemed impossible. There can be joy in discovering that prayer has become something we genuinely desire rather than something we simply feel obligated to do. There can be a profound sense of gratitude when we recognize the grace of God working through our efforts to become more compassionate, patient and generous.

Even the sacraments contain this kind of mystery and exhilaration. There is something extraordinary about receiving Christ in the Eucharist. There is freedom in experiencing God's mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And there is something almost impossible to comprehend about what happens in Baptism: we start as creatures made by God; we become His adopted sons and daughters.

These are not tame realities. Perhaps that is why Peter's story is so compelling. He reminds us that faith sometimes means getting out of the boat.

Of course, Peter does not walk very far. His courage gives way to fear, and he begins to sink. We all know something about that. We have second thoughts. We wonder whether we made the right decision. We sometimes ask ourselves what we have gotten into. But Peter's failure to keep walking does not erase the significance of his first step. He was willing to trust Jesus enough to leave the security of the boat.

That may be the invitation for us as well. It is easy to settle into a comfortable version of faith. We can attend Mass, say our prayers, fulfill our obligations and remain safely inside the boat. But discipleship asks for more. At certain
moments, Jesus calls us to take a risk, to trust him more deeply, and to discover what happens when we respond.

Living as a disciple of Jesus is not meant to be boring or predictable. That does not mean we should become reckless or irresponsible. Rather, it means being willing to recognize the opportunities God places before us each day.

Every day offers another chance to deepen our relationship with the Lord. Every day gives us another opportunity to love someone, forgive someone, serve someone, pray more deeply or step beyond our comfort zone.

We may never experience the thrill of jumping out of an airplane. We may never literally walk on water. But there is no reason our life of faith cannot be exhilarating. The
exhilaration comes from trust—from discovering that when Jesus says, “Come,” we can actually take that step.

Sink or swim is an old way of looking at life. For the person who trusts in Christ, perhaps there is another possibility: .
Sink… or walk.
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— Rev. James F. Hurlbert