THE ROCK

My two favorite Christian symbols are the cross and the rock? The rock? Yes. I keep a rock in my desk drawer – and probably should carry one in my pocket – as a reminder of my faith, of what it means to be a Christian. It reminds me that my faith is to be as solid as a rock, built on a rock. But it is more than that. The cross, of course, reminds me that living out my faith will not always be easy but that God will always give me the grace and strength to do so,

In Matthew's Gospel Jesus tells Peter that Peter is to be the rock on which Jesus will build his church. That statement has been interpreted to mean that Peter and his successors, namely, the Bishops of Rome, are to be the head of the church. I will not get into that theological debate. For the moment it is beside the point.

The real point, I believe, is that Jesus wanted a rock-solid faith from Peter and the rest of the Apostles. Not only must they confess that he is the Messiah, they must believe it and, most importantly, live it – and even be willing to die for that faith: rock-solid faith. The church universal, the church as a whole, must be built on the rock-solid faith of the people of the church. If our faith is weak, if it is built on sand, shifting sand, if it is lukewarm and wishy-washy, we, as church, will never survive.

For in order to do what is demanded of us as Christians, to love one another, even our enemies; to serve one another, even those who are different from us; to share our faith, even with those who could care less; in short, to love our God with all our heart and mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, all that demands a rock-solid faith.

I wear a cross around my neck as a reminder of my faith. But sometimes I think I should take that rock our of my desk drawer, tie it to a string and wear it around my neck as well. In fact, I should probably wear that rock alone. It would remind me not only of how solid my faith must be, but also, and perhaps more importantly, that when I live out my faith, in my relationships with others, what they want of me is not so much that I help them carry their crosses but that while they are carrying those crosses, I don't throw rocks at them and make it harder for them to live out their faith, and vice-versa.

But that faith comes not simply from the asking. Yes, we must want it and ask for it, but we must also work for it and work at it. It is not enough simply to confess that Jesus is the Messiah, that he is the Son of God. That's all for starters. Much more is needed, demanded. That, I think, is Jesus's point when he tells Peter and the rest of the Apostles – and us – about forgiveness. For, you see, the key to the kingdom of heaven, the key to being able to live a Christian life, that key is forgiveness.

As long as we refuse to forgive those who hurt us, as long as we keep throwing rocks at them, so long will we keep them out of our family, our church, our lives. The rock is a reminder to me that not only of the power of my faith but also the power that is in my hands to forgive in order to build community, build church, build family. And the cross is a reminder that it won’t be easy but it can and must be done.