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. According to Matthew (but not Mark or John) Peter was also able to walk on water, following Jesus's example (Matthew 14:22-33).
Walking on water has subsequently become a colloquialism used when a seemingly impossible task is actually being managed. Also, when one person admires another with an intensity bordering on the irrational, it will frequently be said that "So-and-So believes that Such-and-Such walks on water".
It was reported on August 30, 2006 that an Evangelist preacher named 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.[citation needed]
An Egyptian story, told by another son named Bauefre, is set during the reign of Khufu's father Sneferu. ... one of the girls loses an amulet - ... The king laments this, and the chief lector folds aside the water to allow the retrieval of the amulet, then folds the water back. (This may be considered more closely equivalent to Moses's Parting of the Red Sea than to the 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. Religiously the suggestion was controversial because it argued that the Biblical event could have been just an illusion. Others have noted that the Bible never tells how deep the water was.
The effect of walking on water can be created 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.
Under certain circumstances it is possible to actually walk on water. By distributing 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 Water strider insect and South American Basilisk lizard exploit the effect easily. These animals have optimized body shapes and weight-to-water distributions for the task.
For Christian responses to these points see the general article on Miracles.
[edit] Textual Criticism
In the second volume of A Marginal View, subtitled Mentor, Messages, and Miracles, John P. Meier individually examines all the miracle stories in the gospels to determine if, behind them, lay a historical kernel. He argues 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. This is a metaphor, Meier asserts, for the early post-Easter church. Jesus leaves his disciples in the ascension while promising a return, but occasionally visits them in mid-journey to sustain them (through the Eucharist). As with all apocalyptic literature, it is meant to comfort a beleaguered community.
However Dr RA Cole, formerly of Moore Theological College Sydney has written: `It is impossible to think of this as meaning that he walked along the shore or along a sandbank, as some have interpreted it.The disciples, being fishermen, knew their lake well, and they would not have been terrified by that. There are no difficulties with Jesus walking on the water if we remember that he was the Son of God.` (IVP New Bible Commentary)
[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 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.
- On March 18, 2007, YouTube magician Anthony Bass walked on the water of the Lewisville Lake in Little Elm, Texas as a publicity stunt and promotion of his abilities.
- In the video game Final Fantasy X the summoner (Yuna) walks on water in Kilika while she performs the sending.
- 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.
- The video for the song "Magic" by The Cars featured lead singer Ric Ocasek walking on water in a swimming pool.
- In the movie Bruce Almighty, both Bruce and God walk on water.
- At the end of Being There, a novel by Jerzy Kosinski (1971) and a film by Hal Ashby (1979), Chance walks off across a small lake.
