Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. — Matthew 26:35.
I am reading a book called Aftermath which is about Germany immediately after World War II. Its central theme is to explain how the general German populace dealt with the “corruption its soul and the Holocaust.” I certainly don’t analogize Peter’s denial to the active involvement in Nazi atrocities, but I can see an ordinary German citizen remaining silent or denying association to avoid being arrested and sent to one’s death in prison camp as similar to Peter’s choice.
If we live long enough we will have those moments where we we fail to live up to a promise or obligation because of self-interest. What is interesting is that we remember Peter not for the denial, but for what he did afterwords. Peter failed his Lord, we all fail our Lord, the question is, “What do we do next?”
God always forgives, but it is up to us turn failure into our call.
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