PETER'S SORROW








Pic.: Chandrasekhar Varier

I have written on this earlier, too… That, if Jesus Christ was to live in my neighborhood, today, would I have treated him as my great friend – leave alone adore and worship Him the way I do, today?

I know Christ is not around, today… So, I read His compassionate, touching stories and try to associate with Him. Today, it is safe – rather trendy – to make the Christ hanging on the cross – almost naked and condemned to be a criminal – as my great hero, my Salvador…

But, I am honest when I say this: If the divine drama was to get re-enacted in my neighborhood, today, I would have done what Peter, His closest disciple, had done: Deny knowing who Christ was…

And, trust me: I am not saying this, here, for any dramatic effect…. I can imagine how tough it must have been for Peter… not to do that… the denial act…

But, then, when he heard the rooster crow three times, that night, and when he remembered what Jesus had said, Peter had broken down with sorrow and repentance… In those tears, Jesus had washed away the mortal weakness – call it ‘sins’, if you wish – of his most loyal disciple… and, yes, filled him with great strength…

I get tremendous amount of inspiration – and hope – every time I revisit this nightly drama in those last days of Jesus Christ, my hero… I know, it is tough – almost impossible – to ‘follow’ Him in real life…

Still, as a Christian, I go around claiming, that I ‘follow’ Him…

Jesus, have mercy on me.

GERALD D’CUNHA

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