I regularly receive writings by the Reverend Peter Knott, which are usually thought provoking and good for reflection. Here is a recent piece by him:

“THERE are times when we want to be something better than we are. We may have certain character traits that trouble us which we would like to be rid of. We may see qualities in other people that we admire and we would like to possess those qualities ourselves. If only we could get rid of our nasty temper and replace it with a more serene disposition - if only we could be more patient. Could it be that these desirable qualities are already in us but are undeveloped and we are simply not living up to our potential? Looking at Simon Peter may encourage us: how many times had he failed. There are days when life seems bleak and pointless, but on those days, let us hear again a voice saying; :“Simon, you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church ……”

A vital Christian faith will help us to become all that we can be. A helpful addition is friendship. It was a friend who said to Simon: “You are Peter.” Who else had seen that stead-fast quality in him, even guessed it was there? Our friends can encourage us to reach our potential. We need that kind of friendship because at times it is not easy for us to believe in ourselves. We may talk about the difficulty of believing in God. Sometimes we talk about the difficulty of believing in people, and there are days when our struggle with faith is in another area.

Early in his Christian venture, Simon said to Jesus: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Later he would deny the Lord three times, then go out and weep bitterly. Simon found it hard to believe that Peter, 'the rock-like person' was in him. (Matt 16.18)

A young man went to see his priest and told the story of his moral failure. When he had finished, the priest said: “You are a fine young man.” The boy wondered if the priest had taken him seriously. But the priest continued: “You would not be feeling as you do if you were not a good person.” It was the same old story all over again: “Simon, you are Peter.”

Yes, there are times when we can see that both ourselves and the world are in a mess, but with eyes of faith, we can see another world where truth and justice reign supreme. It is not here yet, but because we believe in a God who will win in the end, it is sure to come: and we all have a part to play.

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