Do you love me? A reflection on shame and wholeness
Easter III (May 4, 2025)
The story seems like comfortable at first: The disciples go fishing, they eat breakfast with Jesus and then Peter tells Jesus he loves him. (John 21:1-17)
But once you start digging, you realize this is a story about the power of shame. Peter is ashamed of his denial of Jesus and this manifests itself in all sorts of typical shame behavior
- Avoiding
- Covering Up
- Focusing on self and past mistakes
How then can Peter move forward? How can we move forward in our shame?
It turns out that nice guy Jesus isn’t going to cut it. Instead, we need the son of the living God to redeem us from sin and shame.
The painting is by Tissot. It is on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art