What Peter Looked Like Stepping on Water

Maybe like my drunk buddy
trying to ice fish
on a farm pond
in Oklahoma
suddenly ankle deep in cold cow water.

Or like my own small son
staggering across the living room rug
toward his mother.

But maybe like my father,
lifted light
as a bag of popcorn
in my arms,
slipper feet brushing
the floor between the hospice bed
& wheel chair,
voice swallowed in the unmoving ocean
of morphine,
the pupils of his eyes
two little boats
bobbing
somewhere far out
on that motionless sea.

—Benjamin Myers

Copyright © 2014 by the author or Christianity Today/Books & Culture magazine. Click here for reprint information on Books & Culture.

Also in this issue

Books & Culture was a bimonthly review that engaged the contemporary world from a Christian perspective. Every issue of Books & Culture contained in-depth reviews of books that merit critical attention, as well as shorter notices of significant new titles. It was published six times a year by Christianity Today from 1995 to 2016.

Our Latest

My Top 5 Books on Christianity in South Asia

Compiled by Nathanael Somanathan

Wisdom on staying faithful in ministry and navigating multireligious realities in India, Sri Lanka, and beyond.

News

Top Women’s Cricket Player Trolled for Her Christian Faith

Vikram Mukka

Christian public figures in India face online attacks and offline consequences for speaking about Jesus.

The Russell Moore Show

Our Favorite Moments from 2025 Episodes

Russell and Leslie meander through the 2025 podcast episodes and share some of their favorite moments.

The Case Against VIP Tickets at Christian Conferences

Jazer Willis

Exclusive perks may be well-intended business decisions, but Christian gatherings shouldn’t reinforce economic hierarchy.

The Bulletin

Pete Hegseth’s Future, Farmers on Tariffs, and Religious Decline Stalls

Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll

Hegseth scrutinized for drug boat strikes, farmers react to Trump’s tariffs, and a Pew report says religious decline has slowed.

The Debate over Government Overreach Started in 1776

Three books to read this month on politics and public life.

The Call to Art, Africa, and Politics

In 1964, CT urged Christians to “be what they really are—new men and women in Christ.”

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube