Thin Air, High Hope

As I tried to quiet my mind, I turned to my Bible, currently open to the book of Mark. Today’s reading (Mark 14)  involved a short conversation between Peter and Jesus when Jesus foretells that Peter will deny knowing him, despite Peter’s fervent protests that he would ever do such a thing. Yet, just hours later, Peter does exactly that. Why didn’t he consider Jesus’ warning? Perhaps Peter was too caught up in his vision of the future, imagining a grand, heroic struggle, not a quiet battle beside a fire.  

My mind then went to the story of Eve in the garden (Genesis 3). The story is different, but it made me think of another time when God cautioned His child about a certain course of action. This time, we get the sense that God had a plan and was instructing his children to wait. While Peter was warned of what he was going to do, Eve was warned of what not to do. She was warned because it wasn’t the right time to eat the entire fruit of knowledge. Knowledge is meant to be digested slowly and grown into, so it has time to develop into wisdom and relationship. But Eve wanted all of it now: all of the experience, the knowledge, the future promises contained in that one piece of fruit. 

Both stories, different at first glance, reveal a common theme of missed divine warnings due to personal biases and expectations: Peter’s future heroics and Eve’s impatience for knowledge. Yet, what struck me the most about these stories was not Eve and Peter’s shortcomings, but God’s reaction to His children. In both stories, God pursues His child. 

In the story of Eve, God is said to walk in the garden that evening, seeking out His child. He calls out to her as she hides in her shame, “Where are you?” He tenderly addresses her defiance and then makes clothing to cover her nakedness.

After Peter’s denial, Jesus seeks out Peter, who has returned to his old job of fishing (John 21), no longer a rabbi’s student. Before even addressing the denial, Jesus fills Peter’s nets to overflowing, builds a warm fire, and makes Peter breakfast. Then, like God with Eve in the garden, He tenderly invites Peter into a healing conversation, reassuring him of his purpose and role.

God doesn’t let go easily. He is not the parent who gives the silent treatment, scrutinizing for the proper display of shame. Nor is He the type to use His words to induce shame until we cower properly before Him. He’s not the parent who withholds gifts and affection or lashes out in uncontrolled rage. God does not withhold love until penance is paid, but He also doesn’t ignore our shame, leaving us to wonder where we stand with Him.

God is the parent who gently knocks on the bedroom door. He is the parent who initiates, pursues, and seeks His child, cup of tea in hand. This God invites us closer to Him in the middle of our shame and defeat. He gently draws us near with a warm meal, a blanket for our shaking shoulders. He asks questions like, “Why are you hiding?”. He invites us to talk about our failures, to face them. He doesn’t ignore them because He knows we can’t ignore them. Even as we experience the outcomes of our actions, He seeks to reassure us, to restore us, to remind us of our value and our purpose.  He invites us into the comfort and safety of His presence to find all we need to move forward.

Reflecting on the future for myself and my two children, I find immense comfort in the God portrayed in these stories. Perhaps the stories of Eve and Peter are less about their failures and more about a wise Parent who offers caution against harmful impulses, yet remains readily available when we face moments of defeat and regret. 

In a world so quick to condemn and throw stones, I am grateful that this is God: a Parent who is available to reassure, comfort, and even feed and clothe our naked, hungry selves. A Parent who is willing to walk through our failures with us. A Parent who reminds us of our value and our worth, and then sends us forward a little wiser, a little more complete, and a lot more secure in His love.

“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” 2 Samuel 14:14

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.  Hebrews 4:16

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139: 7-10 

Curious…

• Reflect on the image of God as a parent who gently knocks and invites conversation. How does this understanding of God’s tender approach affect your willingness to open up about your own struggles and vulnerabilities?
• The stories illustrate God not only warning but also pursuing His children with love after their mistakes. How can this portrayal of God as a relentless pursuer of His children influence your response to others when they make mistakes? How might it change the way you view your own need for forgiveness and restoration?
• Consider the role of a parent in guiding and supporting their children through life’s pivotal moments. How can you apply the ‘parent’ qualities of God discussed above in your own relationship with your children or others you mentor?