This Sunday we hear about Peter, his most infamous hour when he denied to strangers that he even knew Jesus. On the positive side, at least Peter followed at a distance to see what was going to happen to his friend Jesus. That took more courage than most of the disciples showed. And although he denied he knew Jesus, wasn’t it the best compromise to make in order for him to stay nearby? After all, would it have done any good if he had gotten arrested too? In his place, I would have patted myself on the back for getting as far as the courtyard fire. And a hundred nights from that campfire conversation, who would remember that he had said he didn’t know Jesus? (We do, of course.)It was one of those “harmless” lies, wasn’t it? (Guess not.)That is certainly the way I could have rationalized it. Compromise, after all, has little maliciousness in it, only the certain smell of fear, and I wonder how many compromises I settle for in my own life. Or how many times, I remained silent instead of saying, “You know, I have met Jesus, God’s son, who can…..”
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