“Lord, to whom can we go?” - August 25
Today’s Readings - Psalm 5, 6; Job 6:1-4,8-15,21; Acts 9:32-43; John 6:60-71
When my first three children were small one of the dreaded situations of my life was taking my three to a playground or one of those indoor play gyms. After what seemed like forever when they should have been ready to leave it was inevitable that one of them would refuse to leave. I knew that if I threatened to leave them, they’d probably jump at the chance. I think they knew it was an empty threat. In many of these cases I would leave the playground pulling one or more kicking and screaming protesting how mean I was and how unfair it all was.
When I was a social worker, I would take foster children to playgrounds and the same situation would arise, but I learned never to make idle promises – because sure enough, they’d call my bluff, then what was I supposed to do? I think the foster children knew they had nowhere else to go but they’d been left so many times in various scenarios that they didn’t care or possibly trust anyone anymore.
In today’s gospel after several of the disciples have turned their back on Jesus and left him, Jesus asks Simon Peter, “Do you want to leave too?” Simon Peter answers from his heart, and says, “Lord, to whom can we go?” His response seems to ring with a hollowed out sense that they have nowhere else to turn and they’re not sure what they have in store for them. Simon Peter knows there is nowhere else that they can go, that Jesus has more than everything they need, they have come to believe that he is the Son of God, “The Holy One of God.”
Growing up we’ve, all probably found ourselves wanting to belong, wanting someone to claim us, to say, “You are special, you are important, you matter.” I remember when I was in the second grade, I packed a little suitcase and pretended to be running away. I only got a couple of houses away before my big brother swooped me up and carried me home crying. As I recall I was hungry for the attention. Behaviors can almost always be traced back to needs.
Simon Peter knew however there was no reason to leave because he recognized that Jesus was the only source for all things necessary for life. Jesus never turns away – if anyone moves it’s always us.
We don’t need to test Jesus or to pretend to walk away in hopes he’ll call after us. Jesus has already claimed us. He has an open-door policy that is constantly ready to open up, wrapping us up in the love and the care for which we hunger. All we need do is swallow our pride and admit we have no other source of light or life.
Faithfully,
Sally+
Questions for Reflection and Challenge When was the last time you were homesick and hungered for someone to claim you, to cherish you and give you that sense of belonging that we all hunger for. What do we fabricate in our lives that can create an obstacle to Jesus’ presence? Is it pride, independence, stubbornness?