Week of July 5, 2026

My sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ,
I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of fictional books or movies. For a long time, I saw them as somehow lesser. They tell the truth in an indirect way. And yet, now I find myself telling stories in my own head. These stories are perhaps far more real than what any non-fiction book can offer. I have had characters forming in my mind, characters who help me imagine what a church could be.

I rarely watch movies, but today I came across one I felt I had to watch: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. It made me think about the sadness and burdens we all carry. It made me think about how deeply we long for reconciliation, even though reconciliation often means facing the darkest parts of our own story.

I think of Peter in today’s Gospel, recognizing his own unworthiness. He had happily accepted the healing Jesus provided to his mother-in-law, but now, in the boat, Peter realizes that Jesus is asking something of him. Peter is afraid. He is unsure if he can let go. Many times in our own lives, we allow our failures, disappointments, anger, and sin to define us.

Jesus sees all of that. Reconciliation and forgiveness do not mean pretending those things did not happen. They mean that love sees everything and still calls us into relationship. Just as Jesus called Peter, who would later betray him, Jesus calls us too. We are imperfect, but the final end of the story is not about us. It is about what God does.

God reconciles us to himself.
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Peace,
Rev. Ben