Float Days

While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24)Some day’s suspend themselves. This morning feels like it could be one of those days. But it’s early.

Some day’s suspend themselves. This morning feels like it could be one of those days. But it’s early.Do you remember sitting under a tree on a pleasant day? Your back and shoulders curled against the trunk, the back of your head resting on rough bark. You stare past your knees out across the park, your eyes move above the tops of trees and come to rest on a broad swath of sky. You lose track of place and time.

Then, in front of your eyes, floating in the air, no wires or smoke or mirrors, appears a spider. Her body turns slow and easy, her many splayed legs float beside her. And it takes you a moment to come to terms. Until you remember to look for the silk thread.

Back on earth you reach out, pinch off the filament a foot above the spider…an experiment. She spins and releases and drops almost to the ground before you jerk your arm up. She’s suspended again. You wonder how long she could keep this up; but instead the next time she drops you let her reach the grass.

Some days feel like float days. Not bad days, just days were you can’t get any traction.

It was a float day that day the disciples couldn’t quite come to terms with who was appearing to them. They still had a lot of smoke in their eyes from all the excitement and madness of the preceding week. So when their friend walked in the heels of their hands shot up to rub their disbelieving eyes. As their world slowly spun and fell away beneath them, their hearts rose and filled with wonder.

And when the sound of his voice broke the air and the spell, the joy they had been holding back flooded in.

And they ate together. No metaphorical friend-Jesus, no mythological friend-Jesus, only warm dark eyes, scarred flesh, hard ground to sit on, and fish to eat, and conversation that rang in deep in their ears.

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