I think I have discussed this, or a parallel passage before. There are two parts to this. The first is that Jesus send them ahead, and then did the kind of thing no human can do: he played games with physics. We cannot walk on water. We are more likely to drown.

That was private: as private as Christ got. it was in the middle of a lake, in a storm. All the sane people were huddled inside: only fishermen, travellers and the foolish were oudside. (Amateur fishermen go out when the conditions are good: professional fishermen do so in all weathers, for the wage bill and mortgage have to be met).

Last time I thought about the issue of coming to Christ to meet our own needs and prosperity gospel. Now I think the church is falling into the issue of feeding the peoples again, so that they may gain power, and using spiritual words to put a gloss on this.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

(John 6:16-27 ESV)

The church is not in this world to be the praying branch of the progressive movement. We are about righteousness. We are not about being seen as whole. We are broken. And when we approve of sin because of political aims, and do not confront others, then we are making a grievous error. I don’t care if this Rev’d likes women. I do care that she does not act on this: as a man who likes women I have to be chaste, as does she.

If we accept unrighteousness we are failing our brothers and sisters. For we are all frail We can all decieve ourselves that what we are doing is natural and good, when it is leaving our souls in peril and destroying our families. Our heart is not understood, and we naturally tend to evil. And I don’t mean the left’s shibboleths about racism, for they consider badthink a sin. I don’t. I consider rejecting CHrist because of fear of badthink a serious sin at this time.

We are not about justice now. We are about balm, healing, caring, not revolution. The current governments are failing and falling. It is not time to be political. It is not time to provide for others and forget our spouse and family. It is not time to assume that activism covers a multitude of sins. It is time to hold our marriages together, protect our scholars, and faithfully proclaim the gospel.

Not justice as this world calls it, but true mercy.

Not goodthink as the socially wounded define it, but truth.