Chair’s June Blog: Coming out of Lockdown with Peter and Paul
Our faith has entrusted to us the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. With keys like these what could ever keep us locked down again?
“And the chains fell off his wrists…” Acts 12:7
Our experiences of the last few months will have been very varied, but one thing we can assume is that many, if not all of us, have been affected by the impact of the COVID-19 virus on our everyday lives. Our liberties have been curtailed and our movements restricted - for our own good, and for the wider benefit of society. We don’t like it, but we acquiesce for the sake of the Common Good as responsible persons. Anyone who fails to do so can expect to feel the full force of condemnation.
And now lockdown is being lifted, exuberantly by some, tentatively by others. Some of the places we gather - shops, restaurants, art galleries, churches - are to be reopened, but not as they were. Post-COVID cannot be the same as pre-COVID. Our experience has changed us. We are only just beginning to understand its full impact on our individual and collective lives, but we can expect to respond differently to one another as we reflect on what just happened.
The Feast of St Peter and Paul provides an opportunity to begin.
Peter and Paul were no strangers to the experience of being under lock and key, but their responses differed. Presenting themes of Release, Readiness and Transformation, the readings offer us an initial focus for our own reflection.
Release
In the account of Peter’s release, we see Peter trusting in God’s messenger and following the instructions given to him, even though its true nature and outcome were unknown to him. “He did not realise that what was happening with the angel’s help was real,” Acts 12:7.
Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter, Pietro Perugino, 1481–1482, the Sistine Chapel, Rome.
Peter didn’t have a cunning plan. He was obedient to God’s promptings and trusted that all would be well. He didn’t actively seek release. He didn’t struggle against his circumstances. He slept between his captors, confident that whatever outcome came about, it would be a part of God’s plan for him. He was humble but not defeated, and ready to act when woken - when the light shone in his place of confinement (although he did need a nudge in the side from the Angel). Once awake, his walk to freedom is quiet and relatively undramatic.
Contrast this with the account in Acts 16:23-34 (not among the feast day readings), of Paul’s imprisonment in Philippi. Paul and Silas have been badly beaten and are suffering from their wounds, but they are considered such a threat that they have been imprisoned in the innermost, most secure cell, with their feet in the stocks. Like Peter, they are not defeated, but unlike Peter they are not quiet about it. Although it’s nighttime, they are fully awake and making a racket - singing to God loudly enough for all the prisoners to hear. Thanks to them, the whole prison is awake. There is no quiet angel to lead them to freedom, instead an earthquake shakes the whole building, flinging wide not only their doors and chains, but also those of all the other prisoners.
The entire scene is dramatic, noisy and ‘over the top’. Paul’s response? He stays where he is. He doesn’t escape. He uses the opportunity to receive the healing ministry of his captors, and in response, to bring them to faith in Jesus.
Peter and Paul. One calmly walks to freedom and encourages the existing faithful, the other stays noisily in place with those who harmed him and brings about a conversion.
God may ask us to act differently to actions of our neighbour. It may help us to remember this in the coming weeks.
Readiness
Peter is not wearing his belt, sandals, or cloak, but they are present and ready to be worn when the moment arrives. These are reminiscent of Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:13-17 which uses articles of clothing as symbols of our readiness to carry out God’s will in our lives. The belt is highlighted as a symbol of Truth and footwear for the proclamation of the Gospel of Peace. Peter is sleeping, conserving and building his strength for the peaceful walk in God’s Truth which lies ahead.
Paul prepares in his own way - awake, vociferous, and clothed only in his injuries, he is ready to risk the possibility of mercy from his recent assailant. His preparation is to build up his courage and through loud prayer to remain with those as injured and vulnerable as himself. And he does all this in darkness, unable to see what lies ahead, but, like Peter, trusting that all will be well.
Whatever our circumstances - whether we must return to work or study, whether our health demands that we remain in solidarity with others, or walk away from harmful environments, this is the time to prepare. If you don’t have what you need, ask for it and believe in God’s providence. It sometimes comes in the most unexpected ways. Whether you get an angel or an earthquake depends on what is most effective for your calling.
Transformation
Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man, Nicolas Poussin, 1655
Peter and Paul were changed by their experiences. In the account of Peter’s release, we see him encounter two gates. The first, the gate to the city opens ‘of its own accord’. He walks through effortlessly and the angel, having brought him to the city where he needs to be, leaves him. It’s up to him now. He walks to the gate of his friend’s home, but this time the gate only opens after he insists. This is not where he is called to be, and he leaves to go to an undisclosed location. We have already witnessed Peter’s personal transformation; on the day of Pentecost when he has the language and courage to address so many people, and at the Beautiful Gate where he offers the begging man what he has - faith, not money. The Beggar is transformed to a Praising Man who passes through the gate with Peter.
Similarly, the transformation in the story of Paul’s release takes place not in Paul (this has occurred already on the road to Damascus) but in the hearts of his fellow prisoners and his persecutors (the gaoler). Paul is nursed and fed by the very people who wanted him dead the day before. Sometimes the most unlikely people come to our aid. It’s never too late for a change of heart.
We are familiar with those ‘before and after’ photos much beloved by advertisers and television reality shows. They demonstrate the transformations possible if one is able to imagine it. What can we imagine beyond lockdown? What have we learned?
What can we imagine and hope for beyond lockdown?
I recently listened to a BBC Sounds podcast entitled Re-Think, presented by Amol Rajan, the BBC’s Media Editor, in which ‘leading thinkers from across the globe give us their route maps to a better tomorrow.’
Each contributor is given three minutes to present a post-pandemic goal inspired by our recent experience. One of the first presentations came from Pope Francis, who invited us to consume less and consider the poor more. Other presenters with input that surprised, delighted or inspired me, were the architect Amanda Levete, writer Mohammed Hanif, scientist Carlo Rovelli and musician Jarvis Cocker. This last one resonating strongly with Pope Francis’ words. Cocker pleads with the listeners to acknowledge the impact of humanity on the natural world and recognise the richness all around us when we stop and take notice. Who would have thought Jarvis Cocker and the Pope would have so much in common? Adversity brings us unexpected allies and friends. Now that’s something worth celebrating.
And so, to our final challenge - what would you say in your three minutes? What do you think we need to Re-think? The Gospel of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul tells us that our faith has entrusted to us the means to open the gates of Transformation - the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. With keys like these what could ever keep us locked down again?
Anne Dixon, CPW Chair