Come to the Other Side of the Boat. (John 21:1-9) by Guest Writer Don Eggleston

The months of September and October will be busy for me as I’ll be providing resilience retreats for health care professionals.  I have asked some authors and professionals with deep experience in resilience to provide guest articles to Sunday Morning Café while I am traveling and speaking.  In introducing you to my friend, Don Eggleston (M.Div., M.Ed.) I feel a little like Lorne Michael who scored the comedian, George Carlin, for his very first episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL).    

Don Eggleston, the author of this article with his wife, Mary Ann.

Don Eggleston has been a decades-long mentor, and friend to me. For many years he served as the Executive Vice President for Mission Integration for the over 35,000 employees of SSM Health (that system has grown even larger since then). Currently he assists various organizations and leaders around the country in locating personal and professional meaning and purpose. In his writings, in his talks, in his retreats, and in his coaching, Don’s warm humanity, and decades of hard-won wisdom shine through. I am excited that he took up my invitation and has written a series of three reflections. For a change, I will be kicking back on Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee, and allowing Don to direct my reflection. Thanks Don for pitching in. And thanks for reading. Hey SMC readers, you are in for a treat!  

When I was in theology school, we had a professor whose instructional style influenced many of us in many ways.  He taught the Hebrew and Christian scriptures to us and he stood out for several reasons, including these two: (1) He impressed upon us what he described as the “complexity, enduring relevance, poetic beauty and transformative design of holy scripture.”  He imparted to us the importance of understanding the historical setting of the various books of the Bible, both how to understand which passages are to be interpreted literally and which ones were metaphorical and, yet, revealed truth. He impressed upon us the need to understand the various dialects and languages through which Scripture is conveyed to us-Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and the vernacular (or native tongue of the reader).  His scholarly approach kept us on our toes. (2) He had a knack for what I call “sweet sarcasm.”  In retrospect, he was trying to break into the consciousness of mostly 22-25 year olds who might one day become priests, teachers, and chaplains but could still be too full of themselves and would lack academic rigor at times.  He didn’t suffer fools…

On a gray winter morning, a prime occasion to be mostly inattentive in a graduate school classroom, I received a full taste of his “sweet sarcasm.”

He gave me the text in which Jesus, after a long night of meager fishing, tells his disciples to “come to the other side of the boat” with their nets.

He asked m to “dissect” the passage:  What was the setting in time?  What were the cultural elements of the story? What are the key teachings of the story and why should this passage matter to anyone who hears it?

When I finished my “take” on this passage he replied “Son, you are living proof that ignorance is bliss.”  As my classmates looked on, I replied: “Well, thank you. I’ve been studying a lot and applying myself.  Glad you liked it.”  Based upon the subtle head shaking of the other students and the professor’s eyeball-rolling, it became apparent that his assessment was not intended to be complimentary.  I WAS living proof that ignorance is bliss.

Like Jesus in this story, our professor invited me to come to the other side of the boat.  He “invited” me to apply myself and, over the course of the semester others received the same invitation.  The sarcastic wake-up calls aside, he had a way of breaking open a text in ways that made you want to learn more and to see if this scriptural stuff really could do the trick for those who sought God in a meaningful way.

The setting for this story was the Sea of Tiberias, a name given to the Sea of Galilee by the Roman occupiers (think ‘Ukraine’ these days).  The disciples were fishing in a place which was changing in terms of politics, injustice, tarnished identity and diminished hope.  In a simple everyday setting, they were asked to place their trust in this young Messiah.

We are often asked to come to the other side of the boat, to “drop our nets” into new interpersonal, faith-deepening waters.  Examples of those who make the journey to the other side of the boat are many.  We see it when people reposition themselves by seeking, and then sustaining sobriety.  We see it in those who shed long-standing self-doubt that has prevented their blossoming.  We see it in those who take the time to lay eyes and words of appreciation on human beings who serve us our meals, who deliver our goods, who care for us in dentist chairs and doctors offices, who fix our cars and appliances, who teach our kids.  People long to be seen.  To truly see them often requires a trip to the other side of the boat…a spot where fellow-occupants are sorely lacking at times.  How do we consistently get to the right side of the boat?

(1) Re-draw the circle.  A friend and mentor of mine, Fr. Jim Krings served as a parish priest, high school administrator, hospital chaplain and health care mission leader.  More importantly, for almost 18 years, Jim survived three bouts of cancer, finally succumbing at the age of sixty-three.  When Jim became ill with cancer in his forties, he told me that his diagnosis “just didn’t fit.”  Up until then, he had a “clearly defined circle” of life that did not include this medical challenge.  He ultimately discerned that he had to “redraw his circle” to include undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, to curtailing some of his ministerial assignments and to spend more time with friends and those whom he called “life-givers.”  Jim’s experiences as a medical patient influenced him to redirect his ministry into health care chaplaincy.  He re-drew his circle; he moved to the other side of the boat.

Jim taught me that this kind of spiritual movement over to the more abundant waters calls for a true awareness of both strengths, and limitations.  Real humility is required to observe others and to learn from them.  It requires a refusal to listen to any internal messages about ourselves that are simply not true or chronically self-defeating, and to build what he called “life-sustaining” relationships.

(2) Awaken to reasons for gratitude (what Dr. Tom Wagner calls “beauty checks.”)  Several years ago, a monk at Conception Abby in St. Joseph, Missouri taught me what he called “the gratitude exercise.”  He advised me to stop multiple times per day and ask myself: “For whom or what am I grateful in this moment?”  He suggested that I follow up that question with another: “What did I do to deserve this blessing?”  Frequently, the blessings are so simple: the meal in front of me; the roof over my head; conversations with my wife, sons and friends; our dog sitting beside me on the porch steps; the ability to use all of my senses and to move about.  The monk who taught me this exercise told me that the more I practiced gratitude the more grateful I would become “for smaller and smaller things.”  He was absolutely correct.

So, where do you and I need to re-draw the circle and get to the “fuller catch” that awaits us?  Is there a relationship that needs improvement or better boundaries?  Is it time to limit your social media acts of warfare?   Is it time to talk with a gifted guide like Doctor Tom about something in your life that needs an overhaul or at least fine-tuning?  How about going for a walk or baking bread or reducing your time in front of a screen of any sort? Getting to the other side of a boat on the Sea of Tiberius was not like getting to the other side of a cruise ship; however, it did require immense trust in the Son of God who was tugging at their hearts on many, many levels. 

Re-draw the circle.

Seek and embrace reasons for gratitude.

Come to the other side of the boat.  That’s where the real catch is to be found.

Don is the author of two books that read like take-home retreats. Both can be purchased on Amazon.com. They are meant to be absorbed slowly, and read with a journal and pen nearby.  Either would be great choices for a spiritual book club.  

The Two Dialogues:  Interior and Interpersonal Questions that Build Hope and Community.

With All We Are:  Mission, Purpose, and Transformation.

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