This week we hear the Easter story of Jesus appearing to Peter and other disciples by the Sea of Tiberias as they are fishing (John 21:1-19). In a scene reminiscent of their original call to follow, the men have caught nothing. Jesus tells them, Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some. Sure enough, there was an abundance of fish. Then disciple whom Jesus loved recognizes that the stranger is Jesus. Peter leaps into the water and swims to shore. The others follow with the boat and fish only to find Jesus has already cooked breakfast on the beach. After they eat, Jesus asks Peter the important question that will reconcile him back into relationship, do you love me. Peter responds three times, you know that I love you. After his triple denial of Jesus at the home of Caiaphas, Peter is forgiven, seen, and restored.
Many in the Hebrew Scriptures are also seen by God, forgiven
and restored to relationship. Among them are Hagar and Miriam. Hagar runs away
from her mistress, Sarah the wife of Abraham, and is found by the One she names
El-Roi, “The God who Sees.” Miriam, sister of Moses, rebels against his
leadership, becomes leprous and then is healed and reconciled back into the
community.
From the beginning, God is God who desires to bring back
those of us who have gone astray in whatever way. The only question God asks is
“Do you love me?” However hesitantly we may respond ‘Yes,’ that is enough.
In Sacred Story: Yours, Mine, Ours, I note, “God
comes to each of us when we feel that we’ve reach a point of no return. For
Miriam it was her brother’s return, claiming to be the Deliverer. For Hagar it
was being alone in the desert and fearing her son would die. For us, it can be
a job loss, or health crisis, or faith challenge. It can be a past so traumatic
that we feel trapped by it, or personal choices that have left us feeling
broken and useless and unlovable. Look around—God is right there waiting to
give you living water and manna and show you a way forward...Hagar and Miriam
were faced with the de-humanization of a life of slavery. Yet, God truly saw,
loved, and knew each of them. God showed Miriam and Hagar a road through the
wilderness. God still does that, for me and for you.”
Osheta Moore invites us to the holy way to reconcile with one another and to God. She says, “[love helps us] begin to ask ourselves what we’re for instead of what we’re against…Belovedness is a massive act of owning and accepting your humanness as a gift from a God who deeply loves you…”
Owning our human-ness and beloved-ness can be hard when we are in a time of grief or crisis or pain or feeling unseen.God is indeed El-Roi, the God who Sees—God sees us in our brokenness and hurt and hurtfulness. God sees our pain and loneliness and need to control. God sees our despair and grief and fear. God then says, ‘try fishing on the other side.’ God invites us to breakfast and then quietly asks, ‘do you love me?’ Being seen can help us respond ‘yes’ to that question.
Jesus loved Peter back into relationship. God saw Hagar in
the wilderness and showed her life-giving water. Miriam was reinstated into the
Hebrew community despite her actions in fracturing that community. We can be
found and recognized by our Lord, no matter what. We simply need to say ‘yes.’
I leave you with this prayer by the Rev. Laurie Gudim: We are not blameless, dear Christ.
Please forgive us once again. You are our savior. You have given us a better
path. You have taught us that healing and feeding people, blessing and
restoring community are what makes us whole and at peace. You have taught us
that going willingly into death, full of compassion and forgiveness, is the Way
of Life, the Way worth taking. You have conquered death and given us nothing
more to fear. With you we know eternal life. You have taught us to love. Amen.
