“The past year has been difficult.”
It’s a popular thing to say right now, and of course it’s true. COVID, financial challenges, social/political divisions have indeed made for a tough 12-ish months. It’s also true that struggle didn’t originate in 2020-21. For some, other years have been challenging. For others, the wheel never seems to stop.
For me, this has been a time to clarify.
For much of my life I didn’t recognize the privilege I enjoyed. It took the upheaval of a global pandemic combined with renewed spotlight on injustice to help me understand how truly isolated I am from the harsh reality of discrimination and inequality.
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After the Resurrection, a few disciples went fishing. Jesus showed up and cooked breakfast.
After the meal, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?”
Three times Peter said he did. Three times Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Then He said, “Follow me.”
It’s easy to read a passage like this as a 2000-years-ago interaction, but what if it’s Jesus cooking breakfast for me, then leaning back and asking, “Rich, do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“Feed my sheep. Follow me.”
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If it’s really Jesus and me and you talking over breakfast, we don’t get to hide behind our privilege. We’re supposed to care for those He cared for. The marginalized. The victims of injustice and abuse.
The thing is, if we’re honest, we don’t like some of those folks very much. We’d rather care for someone else, but Jesus didn’t give us that option.
He said we would find Him in difficult places among difficult people, and if we turn from them we turn from Him. He didn’t say following Him would be easy.
I could say, “We’ve done enough; time for a break.” We could just write a check to Project Rescue and let them deal with the Home of Home. It would sure be easier.
Principles matter especially when it’s really difficult to stick with them.
“Feed my sheep. Follow me.”