Rooted on rock & ready to roll

[1]

Francis Gonsalves [1]

No! This is not about Beatles John, Paul, George and Ringo who rocked-and-steamrolled the 1960s generation; but about Paul, not McCartney, but Paul of Tarsus, née “Saul”, and “Simon” who lived two millennia ago. Saul changed his name to Paul after a darshan of the crucified-risen Christ, and Jesus changed Simon’s name to “Peter” (Greek petra, Aramaic kephas, meaning “rock”). Peter was rock and Paul perennially on the roll to give Christianity depth and dynamism. Today, June 29, Christians commemorate these saints who set Christianity upon rock, while ensuring its capacity to roll.
Normally, saints’ feasts are celebrated on the day of their death or martyrdom. Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome — Peter crucified upside down; Paul, beheaded. However, June 29 isn’t the date of their martyrdom. Scholars place the beheading of Paul after his two-year imprisonment, in about 62 AD, while Peter was crucified during Nero’s persecution of Christians in 64 AD. Why, then, choose June 29 to commemorate these apostles? This was the day in 258 AD when Christians decided to honour them both. Furthermore, June 29 is linked with Rome’s founder, Romulus. Thus, just as Rome remembers Romulus, Christianity celebrates its pioneer preachers: Peter and Paul.
Peter and Paul have little in common except their love for Jesus and for all people. Although Peter denied Jesus thrice before he was crucified, to the risen Christ he thrice confessed: “Lord, I love you!” (John 21:15,16,17). This love overflowed as love for his people. He wrote: “Love one another deeply from the heart” (1 Peter 22).
Likewise, Paul, persecutor-turned-preacher, writes: “I consider everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus, my Lord!” (Philippians 3:8). Paul also propagated love in his lovely first letter to the Corinthians (chapter 13) where he lists its qualities: “Love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful… love rejoices in truth, bears all things”, and concludes: “Faith, hope and love abide; and, the greatest is love”.
Peter and Paul bore insults, injury, imprisonment (Acts 12:1-5; 16:16-24) and even death to spread Jesus’ message of love, life and liberation. In so doing, Paul endured public floggings, stoning and shipwreck (2 Corinthians 11:23-28); yet, he said: “Despite all afflictions, I’m overjoyed” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Talking about imprisonment, today, near Rome’s Foro Romano one can see the chains that fettered Peter. Legend claims that these very chains fell from Peter’s hands as he was freed by God’s angel (Acts 12:7).
The differences separating Peter and Paul are more marked than the similarities. Peter was uneducated, Paul, a Pharisee superbly schooled in scripture and law. Peter was a fisherman, Paul, a tentmaker. Peter was married, Paul was not. Before Jesus’ death, impulsive Peter was often floored by Jesus’ charisma; while imperious Paul was miraculously smitten by the risen Lord Jesus whose followers he ruthlessly persecuted (Acts 9:1-19). Transformed by this experience, Paul would arise and proclaim: “Jesus is Son of God” (Acts 9:20).
As if by divine design, Peter established Rome as a kind of hub for Christianity although it was outlawed there, while Paul undertook three perilous pilgrimages (AD 47-49; 50-52; 53-57) preaching about Jesus throughout the Roman empire, down to Jerusalem and present-day Greece. His testimony is found in 13 letters in the Bible, compared to Peter’s two.
Interestingly, Rome’s geography seems to highlight the distinction between Peter and Paul. Peter’s mortal remains lie at Rome’s central basilica of San Pietro, while Paul’s lie in one fuori le mura (Italian, meaning, “outside the walls”) indicating Paul’s work in marginal lands. Peter thus symbolises centripetal stability; Paul, centrifugal catholicity.
“Catholic” means “universal”. Christianity — and any religion for that matter — will remain relevant if it remains rooted to its foundational experience, while daring to innovate and cater to changing times. Peter and Paul teach us: (a) to love God and all people; (b) to be anchored, while being innovative; (c) to stick one’s neck out for Truth even if, like Paul, one’s neck will roll.
Methinks all believers must be rooted on rock and ready to roll. May Peter’s plea, “Lose not your stability” (2 Peter 3:17), and Paul’s prayer, “May your love overflow more and more” (Philippians 1:9), get us rolling onward with God’s Spirit.

— Francis Gonsalves is the principal of the
Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi. He is involved in interfaith dialogue and peoples’ initiatives for
fostering justice, harmony and peace. He can
be contacted at fragons@gmail.com [2]