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Anyone in a tight spot, surrounded by water, would envy the ability of those few creatures able to walk on the surface of water!! Whether it’s the ‘water boatman’ sculling its way across the surface of a pond in summer, or the basilisk lizard skipping nimbly across the surface of a stream, such an ability is vitally important.

But whereas the tiny feet of an insect can be supported by the surface tension of water itself, the basilisk lizard manages its water-walking technique despite its weight. Just how this is done has now been studied by scientists in Harvard University, according to a recent report in The Guardian. By shining laser light on the surface of the water and looking at the movement, they were able to calculate the different forces acting on the lizard’s foot. Apparently the foot movement is a bit like a swimmer doing the crawl. But it seems that our feet are too big to let us follow the lizard’s example!!

Even so, walking on water is not impossible, according to a well known Biblical example. One stormy night on the sea of Galilee, when the disciples were in a boat being tossed by the waves, it’s recorded that Jesus did just that:

“The ship was now in the midst of the sea…and in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:24-25)

What followed tells us all we need to know about ‘how to walk on water’. Peter found he could do the same as Jesus – until his faith started to weaken:

“When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:29-30)

Faith is defined in the Bible as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). If we look around at the world with all its troubles, there is every reason to be afraid about our future. But a careful study of the Bible gives us something tangible to hope for and the certainty that the future of the world is not as black as it seems.

Fortunately, nobody’s expected to show their faith in what the Bible promises by walking on water! Quite the reverse, in fact. If, like Peter, we want ‘to be saved’ from the consequences of our sins, the first step we must take is to believe what we read in the Bible and “be baptized” – just as Jesus commanded. Then perhaps one day, in God’s mercy, we will be given the ability to do far more miraculous things to make this world a better place than walking on water!