Imago Gospels - 13 - Wrong Shoes
So this happened today. Look closely. My wife and I headed out to Costco and then to the gym. As we were walking into Costco, I looked down and noticed this. Yes, wearing two different shoes. There was no fashion statement to it, just me not paying attention when I was putting on my shoes to leave. The ones that are the black and whites are the ones I was supposed to wear as those are the ones I wear to the rec. The others are my ones I wear for hiking, etc. I was already there and we were going to the gym next, so nothing to be done about it really.
As I read the passage (lots there today) this morning, I wasn’t sure at first where to go - there are a lot of different pieces that are lifted up in these two chapters. However, after looking down and seeing my shoes this morning, I thought about Peter. Peter who has one of his best moments followed up by one of the ones that he is often known for. He is the one who makes the recognition of who Jesus is…”Who do you say that I am?” “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God…” This is followed up by the Transfiguration story where Peter misses the point of what is happening when he tries to memorialize the whole thing by wanting to built “shelters” or “booths” on the high mountain for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. While Matthew doesn’t reference this, Luke essentially notes that Peter had no idea what he was talking about.
I am very thankful for Peter. I am thankful for the one who does so many things so well, but then has times where he is like one who puts on two different shoes when heading out in the morning. I am thankful because one who Jesus says will be the rock upon whom the church is built (or the confession he makes, depending on the way you interpret the passage) is also one who is so like all of us - trying to do our very best but yet having times where we succeed in beautiful ways and then fall short in equally spectacular ways.
(BTW, it was later pointed out by my daughter that I also had mismatched socks on too, which is not obvious in the picture).