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Christopher Columbus did not discover the new world. On October 12, 1492 a sailor keeping watch high up in the crows nest on board the Pinta, a man named Rodrigo de Triana, was the first to sight land, an island of the Bahamas.

The horizon defines the limits of what a person can see. Standing at sea level, on a good clear day, the horizon extends a little shy of three miles. Lift a man up to the top of a 100 foot mast, and the horizon extends over 12 miles.

The principle is simple: The higher a man goes, the farther a man can see.

There exists not only physical horizons, defined by the curvature of the earth, but also psychological and spiritual horizons, defined by the narrowness of our vision.

If the physical horizon is determined by how far a man can see, consider the spiritual horizon as that which is determined by how far a man can trust the power of God. Some can only trust God with what they see and know. But spiritual giants trust God to be present with them even beyond the horizon – beyond the limits of what they can ever see, or ever know.

Simon Peter’s experience with Jesus involved learning how to trust the power God, beyond the horizon. In today’s gospel Jesus says to Simon, “Come and follow me. I will make you a fisher of men.”

This would have come as a signifi cant challenge to a simple fi sherman. Simon spent his days mending nets along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. What does he know about awakening a human heart? What does he know about leading others into the fullness of the God’s abundance?

Simon could never have followed Jesus unless Jesus first demonstrated the ability to see beyond the horizon.

Simon stood looking at the human experience from sea level. His field of vision was limited. But Jesus surveyed the world, not from a crows nest lifted a mere 100 feet off the ground. Jesus’ vision of the world was from the heights of eternity.

Jesus could see what Simon could never see. It took time for Simon to realize just how far Jesus could really see beyond the horizon, beyond his horizon. As Simon discovered the distance of Jesus’ focal vision, he increasingly learned to trust Jesus’ guidance.

Our horizon is limited. No matter how high we climb, we will never rise to the heights of Jesus. Although my physical horizon may be limited by my circumstance, my spiritual horizon can be limitless, as I learn to trust in Jesus.