Being Human
AM Psalm 106:1-18 • PM Psalm 106:19-48
1 Samuel 10:17-27 • Acts 7:44-8:1a • Luke 22:52-62
“Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
For his mercy endures for ever.
Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord
Or show forth all his praise?” (Psalm 106:1-2)
These verses are a great start to any morning. When I begin the day with praise and adoration of God, I find balance and harmony. Life is good. My prayers and meditation are rich. There are times, however, that I don’t start my mornings this way. My prayers feel empty, I am distracted and my practice is full of mental chatter. Despite my best intentions and promises to myself, I often don’t do the things that I know make my life more joyful because I get side-tracked amid the flotsam and jetsam of life. I am divided, scattered among too much busyness. During these times, I feel that God is far away, despite knowing in my head that I am the one who is far away. These are dark times; times when there is dissonance between my inner values and my outward behavior. I wonder if this is what is meant by an “uncircumcised heart”? I always turn around again back to the path I aspire to stay on all the time, back to congruence between my actions and values. This makes me all the more aware of and thankful for God’s grace and mercy and his unconditional love for us.
Today’s reading in Luke tells us that Peter had days when his behavior was not consistent with his beliefs and values. Peter, like all of us, made mistakes. There were times that he was weak, lacked self-control and faith, times that he became mired in fear and temptation. Peter wholeheartedly believed and had told Jesus that he was ready to go through anything with him; that he would follow him and be faithful to him no matter what! But Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times in a row and that is what happened. When that rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ words and he wept bitterly. The account of Peter denying knowing Jesus has been expressed in masterpieces of music, portrayed in dramatic performances and has been the subject of numerous paintings. I think, as human beings, as followers of Christ, we can all identify with this Peter. His sin and shame did not define his life because Jesus loved him unconditionally. He was redeemed by Christ’s mercy and grace and went on to have a strong and faithful ministry. The story of Peter is a vivid illustration of the power of redemption.
Thanks be to God!
Written by Deborah Griffin
So thankful for redemption, and unconditional love.