It is the 3rd Sunday
of Easter and I just feel down. The school that employed me collapsed at the beginning
of the year and I lost my job, they still owe me my pay. Since then every
effort I have made to be productive has produced nothing but simply used up all
my reserve of resources and even the resources of others. I am on the brink of
quitting! For me it is a dark night! And you, where are you at? For Peter and
the apostles too it is a dark night! So Peter returns to what he knows he is
good at – catching fish. The others follow Peter, for at least they can get
some food for themselves and their families and trade some. Yet their every
effort is unsuccessful!
Have you had the experience of
employing all your education, money, knowledge and skill on a project or task just
to arrive at nothing? The endeavour shows you off as a complete idiot and
self-doubt starts to settle in – Did I make the right choice in life? Of a
career? Of a spouse? Of study? Of location? Myriads of hasty solutions pop up
here and there; comparison sets in - My mates and siblings progress and are
doing well in material wealth and societal life, while it seems I totally
missed the point!
But times of darkness and night
must come, while they are painful, they teach us to value what we have lost,
what we can’t get to work; beloved, it is in the darkness of the womb that the
baby grows waiting for its time to propel out. We have to be patient! Night,
unknown to us grows a lot; the desire for the good things of life and eternity;
it fashions a readiness to act when opportunity arises and we recognise it; It
kills inertia and people-pleasing, it thrashes out fake friends and shows up
real ones; tears are abundant in the night, but this too shall pass when the
dawn comes.
Beloved, Jesus is the dawn! Jesus
is the morning star that dispels every darkness; Jesus is the push that brings
the baby out; Jesus is the epitome of being tended and cared for. It takes the
experience of night to value the presence of Jesus, to cherish the memories of
times of light and fruitfulness.
You see when Jesus stood on the
beach they didn’t recognise Him, until he showed a sign that they had seen
before. Let down your net on the other side and there was an abundant catch!
Beloved this time Peter is not saying: go away from me Lord I am a sinful man;
Peter is not saying, if you call me to come to you on the water, I will; Peter
is not saying, I do not know what you are talking about, I am not his disciple;
Beloved, Peter has stopped talking and starting acting – He jumps into the sea
and wades across to meet Jesus, Jesus the light, Jesus who has prepared a
morning breakfast banquet for them.
Yet the Trinity will have all of
us or none of us, if we must be ardent soldiers of the Good! We must
participate with our weakness that Jesus can turn into strengths: ‘Bring some
of the fish you have caught’; we must use all we’ve got: speak again Peter
speak, ‘Do you love me more than these?’ and again Peter will begin to speak,
and speak and speak in the public and with the Spirit of the Trinity will speak
before authoritative obstacles and speak them dumb and declare: We must obey
Godde and not humans!
Can you feel the tempo? Feel the
upsurge, from the tears of the night…to the forces of joy in the morning? It
gives you and I something to look forward to, doesn’t it? It keeps our toes up,
on our 50 day journey to Pentecost doesn’t it? Beloved, Winners don’t quit and
quitters don’t win, so hang in there, I am hanging in there too! Dare to
believe that Jesus will show up on the beaches of our lives and this dark night
would have taught us to go for the light. Better still, we would have testimony
of an abundant result to share, we would have so much gratitude and see every
need to render thanksgiving, power, glory, honour, might and blessings onto the
risen lamb forever; Yes, We would sing
with the psalmist, I praise you Lord for you have rescued me! Pray for me as I
pray for you. SHALOM
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