BACK TO THE CHORUS
I have listened to Dave Matthews sing “Ants Marching” live in Central Park an embarrassing number of times. It’s thrilling to me to repeatedly experience the turnaround from bridge to chorus towards the end of the song. The anticipation of waiting for the music to open up once again after teasing for so long, the moment when the familiar tune returns for the last time.
It’s like the moment when the wheels of the plane touchdown on your journey home, the thunder tumbling after the lightning strikes, slowing down after a hard run. The tension that leads to familiarity. The waiting that leads to joy.
As the disciples fish in today’s Gospel, I imagine they feel this tension of being aware of the Resurrection, but not yet understanding what it means. I imagine them feeling confused and lost as they cast their nets into the sea at the direction of a man on the beach. In the midst of this confusion, it is John who recognizes Jesus’ voice first. I imagine him reaching over and grasping Peter by the shoulder, pointing him towards the beach. John whispering in wonder-filled awe, “[Peter], it is the Lord.” Things make sense again. Peter runs to Jesus. The chorus returns. The wheels touch down. The tension, loneliness, and confusion subside. The tune is familiar again. Jesus breaks bread.
Until this year, I didn’t crave the “chorus.” I didn’t crave the regular moments of my life with Jesus. In the past, I’ve spent a lot of time looking forward to the big moments of retreats, gatherings with friends, and important Masses...not a casual conversation before an event, daily Mass, or a mundane moment of prayer. After a year like this though, I think I’d jump off the boat, fully clothed, like Peter, and flop through the water until I got to Jesus. Just to have breakfast. Just to see Him.
I am challenged by today’s reading to run towards the “normal” moments with Jesus. The in-between, familiar, and seemingly insignificant. I can invite myself to get excited about finding Jesus in these “normal” days ahead. Because at the end of the day, Jesus is Jesus. Jesus in the bridge and the chorus of the song. The exciting and the mundane.
Where is Jesus present to you in the "normal" moments of today? What would it be like to "run" to Jesus as Peter did in the Gospel during those moments?
Teresa Nygard