Celebrating the Feast of St Peter and St Paul with this wonderful sonnet by Malcolm Guite. Peter is my mate – I was deaconed at Petertide 26 years ago.
I love this icon too: it was the one we chose for the Anglican holiday club which we were able to hold in an Orthodox parish when we lived in Romania. It was a first, as it was held with the consent and support of the Romanian Orthodox priest.
Impulsive master of misunderstanding
You comfort me with all your big mistakes;
Jumping the ship before you make the landing,
Placing the bet before you know the stakes.
I love the way you step out without knowing,
The way you sometimes speak before you think,
The way your broken faith is always growing,
The way he holds you even when you sink.
Born to a world that always tried to shame you,
Your shaky ego vulnerable to shame,
I love the way that Jesus chose to name you,
Before you knew how to deserve that name.
And in the end your Saviour let you prove
That each denial is undone by love.
(Again, you can hear Malcolm reading the sonnet if you click on the poem title below the icon).
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 