I am Peter

I wish I was like John. He was the disciple who referred to himself as the “one whom Jesus loved.” You often find him resting on Jesus’ chest. Unfortunately, I am more like Peter: wishy-washy, prone to angry outbursts, susceptible to speaking before thinking. Part of our reading during Easter week each year is the denial of Peter. He is a wonderful character to study. Peter bounces from hero to charlatan, from genius to fool, and from faithful to faithless. I find it fascinating because I find myself in the twists and turns of his story. Zooming out on Peter’s adventures, we see a yo-yo effect: When Jesus thins the crowd by talking about drinking His blood and eating His body, […]

Failure

You can’t do this, he said to me. (Or was it I?) You’ll never be able to do this. I tried to argue back, But the words turned over and over in my mind. It was an embarrassing failure for one such as I. Just give up. What’s the point? The proposition was tempting. You’ll lose your family over this. It seemed a logical end. You’re a failure. I believed him. Look at what you’re costing your family. They’re better off without you. You can’t do this. You’re alone. I tried to push through, Carrying on with my day and my tasks, But I ended up in the middle of the bed, Sitting and sobbing and wishing for a way […]