Br. Luke Ditewig

Luke 9:18-25

What would you do if you fell in icy water? When we Brothers visited Scotland in 2017, I saw a billboard with the image of a man looking distressed, arms and legs extended, lying in water fully clothed. The caption: “Float for your life. If you fall into water, fight your instinct to swim until the cold water shock passes. Float to live.”[i]

My instinct would be to try to swim, to fight for my life. The Royal Navy teaches that doing so, I would likely choke and drown. Our bodies adjust to shock if we first give them time to adjust. In freezing water, float to live. Then swim to safety or call for help.

“Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me,” Jesus says. Resist instinctively taking control, grasping like you’ve got it all together, and fighting to save your own life. Surrender, let go, and die to yourself. Jesus is our savior. Receiving Jesus’ repeated invitation, we often fear, flee, or fight. I certainly do. It may be habitual, instinctive. From what are you fleeing or fighting? For what are you thrashing or struggling?

Many are struggling with waves of shock and sadness at our new president’s behavior. While resistance is vital, so is praying the pain. Acknowledge and pray the hard. God listens. In whatever form your prayer takes, whether in the silence of your heart, in speaking to a trusted person, in journaling, gazing, drawing, or moving, risk stark honesty about your experience. Name the cold freeze. Pray your life as it is. Be still holding the hard, and God will meet you.

Poet Denise Levertov wrote: “freefall, and float / into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace, / knowing that no effort earns / that all surrounding grace.”[ii] In the pain and shock of life like freezing water, float first to live, surrendering to our Savior.

[i] Float to Live – Respect The Water

[ii] The Avowal by Denise Levertov – Famous poems, famous poets. – All Poetry