Walking on water
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Walking on water is one of the miracles that the Gospels attribute to Jesus. An account of the miracle appears in the Gospels of John (John 6:16-21), of Matthew (Matthew 14:22-33) and of Mark (Mark 6:45-52). According to the biblical narrative, Jesus sent the disciples in a boat, ahead of him, to Bethsaida, but when they were half way across the lake, Jesus walked over the lake and met them. The narrative states that the disciples were scared at first, thinking it was a ghost, but when Jesus revealed himself and got into the boat, they calmed down.
Walking on water has subsequently become a colloquialism used when a seemingly impossible task is actually being managed.
It was reported on August 30, 2006 that Evangelist preacher Franck Kabele told his congregation he could repeat the biblical miracle. Kabele walked out to sea from a beach in the capital Libreville in Gabon, west Africa and drowned.[1]
In ancient Egyptian Mythology the God Horus walked on water, and in ancient Greek Mythology the giant hunter and son of the gods Orion walked on water. Both Hindu and Buddhist traditions have stories about walking on water.
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[edit] Scientific view
In April 2006, scientists placed a controversial theory in which they claim that Jesus may have actually walked on thin ice rather than water [2]. Scientifically, the suggestion was controversial because it assumed the Bible was a fairly factual piece of evidence in recording this event, rather than applying the scientific method to the Bible. Religiously the suggestion was controversial because it argued that the Biblical event could have been just an illusion. Also, it is worthy to note that while science has long since been trying to rationalise the miracles of the Bible, it is generally held that historical and scientific method have no place commenting on miraculous events, given the rare occurrences that must take place for a miracle to be present (such as the illogical and unnatural [in other words, "supernatural"] cellular reconstruction that must have happened when Jesus healed the soldier's ear in Luke 22:51).
It is also possible to create the effect of walking on water, by having the walker step onto an object that is submerged just below the surface of the water. One example of this is Ron Barassi's involvement in the 2006 Queen's Baton Relay, where he traversed the Yarra River on a pontoon that was just beneath the water's surface.
It is also possible under certain circumstances to actually walk on water - by distributing the weight in such a way that surface tension does not break, there will be sufficient buoyancy to avoid sinking below the surface. In nature, certain animals, such as the Basilisk lizard, and Water strider insect, exploit the effect easily, having optimal body shapes and weight-to-water distributions for the task. There also exist pontoon-like shoes that humans can wear which so that they are also able to exploit the effect <ref>A video of patented 'shoes' that enable the wearer to walk on water outdoors</ref>.
[edit] Textual Criticism
In the second volume of A Marginal View, subtitled Mentor, Messages, and Miracles, scholar John P. Meier individually examines all the miracle stories in the gospels to determine if, behind them, lay a historical kernel. Through careful and lengthy analysis he determines that the walking on water miracle is true theological narrative but not a historical story. The oral tradition, he finds, is embedded with Old Testament types (the declaration of Jesus 'I AM' is consonant with the early church view of him as Yahweh) and post-resurrection perceptions.
In particular, the narrative of the story seems to fall into the genre of apocalyptic (which is not to say eschatological; apocalyptic is here defined as a genre characterized by heavy symbolism and light-dark contrasts). Jesus first herds the disciples into a boat and casts them off alone; he then goes up to a mountain to pray, promising them he will meet them on the other side of the sea. The apostles have difficulty reaching the other shore, but then Jesus appears and all is well. As in the resurrection accounts, the disciples see him as a ghost before recognizing him, and the same is true in this pericope. This is a metaphore, Meier asserts, for the early post-Easter church. Jesus leaves his disciples in the ascension while promising a return, but occasionally visits them in midjourney to sustain them (through the Eucharist). As with all apocalyptic literature, it is meant to comfort a beleaguered community.
[edit] Appearances in fiction
Besides biblical references, the ability to walk on water is often present in fiction in a manner designed to draw high degrees of awe.
- In the film Ever After, actor Patrick Godfrey in the role of Leonardo da Vinci walks on water in clog-like shoes, startling Cinderella character Danielle De Barbarac (Drew Barrymore) as she is swimming.
- In comic book fiction, the Flash runs at high speeds sufficient to keep afloat on water. This is also parodied by Dash of the Incredibles. Rev Runner of the Loonatics adaptation by Warner Brothers has also done this, as a parody of the Flash.
- In the manga and anime fiction of Naruto, advanced ninja characters use chakra control in the feet to be able to stand, run on, and bear weight on water.
- In the Chinese wuxia martial arts genre, some warriors may be able to fly or jump with the aid the water's surface. This is never explained by other than the depth of their training.
- In the reality show Criss Angel Mindfreak, the title magician performed an illusion in which he walked across the full length of a swimming pool in front of an audience, with spectators actually swimming around and under him (and even between his legs; he also kicked off his shoes midway) during the stunt. However, according to eyewitnesses, he was walking on transparent perspex struts; also no one is seen swimming behind or in front of him, or where he had previously placed his feet.
- In the videogame Final Fantasy X the summoner (Yuna) walks on water in Kilika while she performs the sending.
- In the videgame Kingdom Hearts (including some Final Fantasy characters) the theme song Simple and Clean includes the verse 'walk on water' corresponding to Riku standing on waves and beckoning for Sora to follow him, the water being used as a metaphor for the heart, and possibly love, which sealed them in the island until they built a raft to sail on it.
- In the conclusion to the comic Watchmen, Dr. Manhattan walks on water, for dramatic effect.
- Towards the end of the film The Truman Show, Truman appears to walk on water at the edge of the world created for him
[edit] Notes
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