(no subject)
... Even we were astonished by this new miracle, and we sat in the boat with our mouths hanging open as Joshua approached.
"What?" he said "What? What? What?"
"Master, you're walking on water," said Peter.
"I just ate," Joshua said. "You can't go into the water for an hour after you eat. You could get a cramp. What, none of you have mothers?"
"It's a miracle!" Shouted Peter.
"It's no big deal," Joshua said, dismissing the miracle with the wave of a hand. "It's easy. Really, Peter, you should try it."
Peter stood up in the boat tentatively.
"Really, try it."
Peter started to take off his tunic.
"Keep that on," said Joshua. "And your sandals too."
"But Lord, this is a new tunic."
"Then keep it dry, Peter. Come to me. Step upon the water."
Peter put one foot over the side and into the water.
"Trust your faith, Peter," I yelled. "If you doubt you won't be able to do it."
Then Peter stepped with both feet onto the surface of the water, and for a split second he stood there. And we were all amazed. "Hey, I'm-" Then he sank like a stone. He came up sputtering. We were all doubled over giggling, and even Joshua had sunk up to his anklees, he was laughing so hard.
"I can't believe you fell for that," said Joshua. He ran across the water and helped us pull Peter into the boat. "Peter, you're as dumb as a box of rocks. But what amazing faith you have. I"m going to build my church on this box of rocks."
This is one of my favorite authors and one of his better books, and for whatever reason this excerpt particularly tickles me. He manages to take a potentially very touchy topic and tell it with both great humor and great sensitivity and respect. And, it makes me giggle.
"What?" he said "What? What? What?"
"Master, you're walking on water," said Peter.
"I just ate," Joshua said. "You can't go into the water for an hour after you eat. You could get a cramp. What, none of you have mothers?"
"It's a miracle!" Shouted Peter.
"It's no big deal," Joshua said, dismissing the miracle with the wave of a hand. "It's easy. Really, Peter, you should try it."
Peter stood up in the boat tentatively.
"Really, try it."
Peter started to take off his tunic.
"Keep that on," said Joshua. "And your sandals too."
"But Lord, this is a new tunic."
"Then keep it dry, Peter. Come to me. Step upon the water."
Peter put one foot over the side and into the water.
"Trust your faith, Peter," I yelled. "If you doubt you won't be able to do it."
Then Peter stepped with both feet onto the surface of the water, and for a split second he stood there. And we were all amazed. "Hey, I'm-" Then he sank like a stone. He came up sputtering. We were all doubled over giggling, and even Joshua had sunk up to his anklees, he was laughing so hard.
"I can't believe you fell for that," said Joshua. He ran across the water and helped us pull Peter into the boat. "Peter, you're as dumb as a box of rocks. But what amazing faith you have. I"m going to build my church on this box of rocks."
This is one of my favorite authors and one of his better books, and for whatever reason this excerpt particularly tickles me. He manages to take a potentially very touchy topic and tell it with both great humor and great sensitivity and respect. And, it makes me giggle.