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What a pleasure it is to greet the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches on this day and share a reflection from Latin America.
We are preparing for the next assembly under the theme “The love of Christ moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” Today, the Word from Saint John 21: 15-19 will enlighten us.
To follow Christ implies caring for, shepherding, tending the Lord’s flock to the point of being willing to surrender one’s life to that flock.
Simon, impulsive, determined, daring. The gospels narrate several of Peter’s actions that portray him in such light: jumping into the water to walk on it; cutting off a soldier’s ear to prevent his master from being taken away; insisting, assuring that he would give his own life to defend Jesus; and his impulsiveness also in the face of fear by denying Jesus.
Jesus had named him Peter, “rock,” declaring that on that rock he would build a new spiritual movement for the world.
The passage of John 21 describes that Jesus called him Simon, his old name prior to meeting Jesus. Peter had returned to his previous life, to his boat, to his nets, to his fish. He wanted to go back to being a fisherman out at sea and his companions join him, they follow him in that disappointing fishing expedition. Does Peter realize that he is disappointed in himself? What troubles him? His own denial? The death, the loss of his leader? Being part of an empty, failed project?
By the fire, around the fire, Peter denied Jesus. And now, after scenes that were so painful for Jesus, for his family, and for those who dream of a new project, of a new movement of God in the world, Jesus invites them to sit around the fire to eat bread and fish.
And it is there where, in the midst of frustration, discouragement, and disappointment that Jesus rebukes Simon, not Peter, and asks him three times about his love, about his true commitment to his flock. The greatest proof of love is to care for, to shepherd, to tend to Jesus’ flock; it is not to protect Jesus. Peter had drawn his sword to protect Jesus but that was not what mattered to Jesus. It was the way Peter would care for his flock.
When Peter is finally taken by the power of the Spirit, of the love to which Jesus was referring, we see him in the acts of the apostles, who were completely converted, healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching and leading thousands of people to conversion, bringing the gospel to many places, creating new communities of faith, laying their hands and giving the Holy Spirit. Peter allows himself to be constantly converted by the spirit of Christ, like he did in front of Cornelius.
Let’s reflect on how we, as the World Council of Churches, may have denied Jesus, denied Christ not only three but many times. The call today is therefore to listen to Jesus and ask ourselves about our love for him who is the life, who is the way, who is the light. He invites us to Love so deeply to the point where we can do what Peter did: care for God’s flock, for the world, its people, its territories, its planet, life, water, fight against climate change, fight against economic powers of death, the powers that violently destroy life. God invites us, as he did with Peter, to love to the point of surrender our own lives for that saving love.
God becomes, transforms himself into power, is glorified through our weaknesses.
Let us tend to God’s flock in such a way that “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity” in the context of this pandemic, which has exacerbated ambition and injustice, and that strengthens our commitment to unity, reconciliation, and the well-being of our communities.
