Peter was a faithful disciple of Jesus. Just prior to the crucifixion, Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times. At the time, Peter thought it was impossible. He couldn’t imagine failing in that way. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. Peter did deny his relationship with Jesus to three different strangers.
After the resurrection, Jesus reached out to Peter with love and gave him the chance to mend what had been broken. That helped Peter heal and move forward. We, too, make mistakes. Sometimes they’re small and sometimes they’re gigantic. Sometimes they’re public and everyone knows, and other times they’re private and we carry them with us our whole lives.
As we face our mistakes and regrets, Jesus lovingly invites us to remain in real relationship with him. We don’t have to pretend or hide. Instead, we can name what’s real and true, and we can heal.
This message is an excerpt from “Advent: the season of illumination” by Emily Anne Carson in Café’s December 2019 faith reflection.
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