Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On
Matthew 8:18-27
Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”
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Take a moment to focus on your breathing. Feel the air fill your lungs, and then pay attention to your body expelling it through your mouth or nose. Breathing is a critical bodily function that we often take for granted. Our bodies just know how to take a breath in and out without us telling it to do so. We should perhaps spend a little more time acknowledging this ability and the power it possesses. This wonderful gift not only sustains our lives but also helps us move through the hard times in our lives, and it even has the power to quell storms. We're reminded today to be mindful of what we are breathing in and breathing out. Are we taking a deep breath that is filled with the life of God and allowing it to fill our lungs and our very being? Or are our breaths shallow and devoid of the life and peace of the Spirit of God?
Conscious or intentional deep breathing has been shown to have a positive impact on our health. Even prestigious health institutions like the Mayo Clinic tell us that mindful deep breathing can help reduce stress, anxiety and improve our overall mental health. But if you don't believe that breathing can alter our physical and psychological state, they've conducted studies to provide data that proves it. For example, we've looked at Tibetan Buddhist monks who practice something called Tummo breathing. Experienced practitioners could raise the temperature of their fingers and toes as much as 14F and increase their body's metabolic rate. Pretty incredible, wouldn't you say? So how is this relevant to today's scripture and song? Well, I think it draws our attention to the fact that breathing is more than what we realize. Yes, we are pulling in the fresh air with each breath, but are we intentional about how we breathe? Because we can't move on or calm storms without understanding the core of our spiritual breathing.
When we pay attention to our spiritual breathing, we become aware of things in life that go beyond the mundane and the ordinary. It's what Buffett was alluding to in the mention of the watch he bought from a "crazy man," a watch that others think is broken and worthless. But for Buffet, it's a timepiece that focuses on the present and tells the wearer to "breathe in, breathe out, and move on." Our spiritual breathing, our taking in the Holy Spirit, should help us see the value and the beauty in the world around us. As Jimmy Buffett would say, this value isn't found in material goods; it's located in the things in life that we truly value and hold close to our hearts. That way, when we do hit hard times, it's a little easier to navigate the choppy waters, and we fret so much that our little boat will sink and give in to the waves.
Sometimes forget, though, how to take that deep spiritual breath of fresh air that comes from the Spirit of God. We find ourselves caught up in life where we don't stop to take a deep intentional breath. Of course, it's going to happen, there are things and people we need to grieve, work that needs to get done, and places we need to be, yet if we don't pause to fill our lungs and souls with the life-giving breath of God, then you know when that storm comes we aren't going to be ready. We'll be hunkered down like the disciples crying out to one another, and that is where Jesus steps in, takes a breath, and in his words exhales a command that calms the stormy waters. "You of little faith," Jesus tells his disciples, "Why are you afraid?" When we encounter Jesus at that moment where we're reminded to breathe, we won't have all the answers, and as Buffet says, it's best to try not to explain it as we breathe in and move on in faith and trust. Amen.