Brought Around

If you were touring the art and architecture of Rome, you might find the Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo. As you looked around there, walking through the Cerasi Chapel, you would see Caravaggio’s 1601 Baroque oil painting “Crucifixion of Saint Peter”. Its grand scale and the movement in the scene would be striking for you. The workers in the scene are struggling to hoist the foot of the cross skyward in order to plant the head of the cross in the ground. Even in death, Peter is depicted as a commanding figure of strength. Yes, by Christian tradition, Simon Peter thought himself unworthy of being executed in the same manner as his Savior and called for this specialized position for his execution. In his Ecclesiastical History, third-century chronicler Eusebius of Cesarea quotes an earlier work. He cites the Commentary on Genesis by Origen of Alexandria, about this inverted crucifixion of Peter at Rome.

You know the answer to this because of the opening paragraph, but I imagine you would have known it anyway if I asked you to name the one voicing the following statements:

“Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
“God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.”
“You will never wash my feet.”
“Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you”
“Woman, I do not know him”;
“By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth”

They are statements of resistance. You can see why the descriptive word sometimes attached to Peter is “impetuous”. All but the first request are declarations that he, Peter, knows better. Of course, the first utterance, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” when he sees the net full of fish that came after Jesus told them to put out again. It was after Peter and his fellows had already fished all night. Peter sees the net teeming with fish and perceives the holiness and glory of this man Jesus. A “creature feeling” comes over him: a shrinking before holy, awesome power, given that he is sinful. He had resisted just for a second, dragging the net once more, but he seems to listen to the Spirit, and obeys, with an astounding result.

Peter’s story is a repeated pattern: stubbornness, listening to the Spirit and being brought around. Is that your story too? It is mine, over and over again. One way to think of our lives is as a progression of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. We are where we are. If we choose, we can allow the Holy Spirit to work with us, moving us to a place in line with the purposes of God. St. Peter was brought around to a place in which he recognized Jesus as the Anointed One, the Son of the living God. Today is the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter which commemorates this very breakthrough. Talking this over with my friend Maria Pavlik, she explained it was always listening to the Holy Spirit that made the difference for Simon Peter. It was the Spirit that helped Peter to trust Jesus: to cast the net again—to follow him—to accompany him to Jerusalem, to let Jesus wash his feet—to go inspect the tomb—to side with Paul to admit Gentiles into the Good News.

We are all candidates for the Holy Spirit to bring us around to God’s way. I am aware on this day—the Martin Luther King national holiday, that Dr. King’s prophetic work of preaching, marching, and organizing was focused on lifting up the original principles of the founding of the Nation. The principles have existed intact, but are not always lived out. King’s peaceful acts of civil disobedience led to personal suffering for him: jailing, brutal retaliation, physical threats, and personal slander. He pressed on, nonetheless; he awakened the conscience of the nation with his message of justice, equality, and nonviolence. In his life and in his commemoration, we continue to be brought around to the high principles of fairness and dignity for all. Sometimes I think, “These issues are all too big and beyond me, what can I do about it.” Then I remember what Dr. King pointed out, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

I will write more this week on the figures in our readings for next Sunday that shows the Spirit bringing us around to the urgings of God. Jonah comes round to getting himself to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh come round to repentance. Even God moves from condemnation to forgiveness. The fisherman brothers, Andrew and Simon, and the brothers, James and John, move from their trade to their discipleship, following Jesus. In what area of your life is the Spirit urging you to come around. It will not be easy, but it will be good.