Mike Paschall . com

I don’t always agree with one of my favorite authors, but I’m very grateful for the thoughts he stimulates in me.  I could only wish to have the ability to articulate ideals the way that Richard Rohr can with his pen.  Often, I’ll read something of his that causes me to set down the material and say, “How the heck does he do that?”  I glean a lot from his insights.

Journal entry:  August 12, 2010 So the boys were out fishing all night.  HE comes to them and ask, “Your nets are empty?  (HE already knew they were empty)  There is little fruit for all your casting?  Hmmmmm.  Maybe you need to change your methods.  Throw out on the other side of the boat.  Good!  How many did you get?  One Hundred Fifty-Three?  (symbolic of all of mankind and nations)  Bring some of them over to me and let us be nourished.  Peter, you are dripping wet.  I’m sure the water was cold, sit here close to the fire and lets chat.  Peter do you…?”

It’s interesting to me that God brings love to the forefront in the public restoration of Peter.  The last time they had chatted intimately like this, Jesus prophesied to Peter his public denial of even knowing Him.  So Jesus knew it was time to cancel the voice of shame and propel Peter back into confidence of Jesus’ love for Him and  vice-a-verse.  Doing covenant and spiritual community is impossible without love.  The best you can hope for is an “arrangement” if love isn’t included in the process.  We know that supernatural stuff happened with the early church.  Acts 5:12 testifies of these truths and also points to part of the dynamics for such God stuff.  “…and they were ALL with one accord.” We usually interpret the “one accord” thing as unity.  That is partly correct, but (homothumadon) means that their minds, their heart, their passions and their love for one another was beyond what most of the current church has among its members.  The supernatural was happening around them because they were allowing the supernatural love to happen in them.    It was a deep emotional and spiritual commitment that held on and stayed connected no matter how hot the fire got.  Love is the force that does that in us.  It is the ONLY thing that can do that.  Without that, without “one accord” love, the Apostles would have been handcuffed much like Jesus was when he went into a community without faith.

-MDP-