“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go?

You have the words of eternal life.’”–John 6:68

The summer following my sophomore year in college, I worked for a trucking company in Charlotte.  A classmate’s father oversaw the tire department and he needed some help for a few months. My job had no connection with the economics degree I was seeking to earn. Instead, for eight hours a day I put air in truck tires. I had a small pickup truck with an air compression in the back. Each day I would drive to the dock where trailers awaited their load.  My task was to ensure that each of the 18 tires had 90 pounds of air. After finishing a trailer, I would put a white sticker on the front and with a black grease pencil added the date and my initials.  It was hot, mindless, dirty work.

While it was certainly the kind of labor that encouraged me to continue with college, it’s also important for you to know that the job was covered by a Teamsters contract. Thus, even though I wasn’t a member of their union, I made $10/hour. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $48/hour today. When you factor in the free room and board I had with my friend’s parents (who became dear friends themselves), I spent much of my time at work pondering how to spend all of that money! 

Each day at lunch, I would join the other tire guys in the break room. At first, they weren’t sure what to do with me as many of them had not graduated from high school, but soon we developed a nice rapport. Conversations at lunch usually revolved around one of three themes– company issues, politics, or the military. The opinions expressed were rarely neutral. I mostly listened, but every now and then, the group would be debating some issue over which they could not agree and one of the guys would say “Let’s ask the college kid.”  Only then would I offer my 19-year-old perspective which, of course, they promptly dismissed! Still, it was fun to be asked. 

Where is the first place you turn in seeking guidance? It could be your spouse or co-worker. It might be a long-time friend or mentor. If you are close to my age and have a tech question, you probably will ask someone from a younger generation. We all have a variety of information sources; some more reliable than others.

The Scripture verse above comes from a moment when the disciples had to reaffirm where they would turn. Prior to it, there had been glimpses of Jesus’ power including a wedding reception miracle and a hillside feeding of 5000 people. There had been signs of his readiness to ignore societal norms by overturning moneychanger’s tables in the Temple and having a respectful public conversation with a Samaritan woman. There had been first indications of his ever-widening influence as the crowds continued to grow, matched by a building hostility from the religious leadership. 

Just prior to our verse that tension led many of his followers to flee. Jesus turns to the Twelve and asks “Do you also wish to go away?”  It is then that Simon Peter in one of his more insightful moments answers “Lord, to whom can we go?  You have the words of eternal life.” 

That declaration didn’t prevent the preeminent disciple from later denying that he even knew his Teacher. It didn’t keep Judas from betraying God’s son or stop the rest from fleeing at the time of their teacher’s arrest. To affirm that truth about Jesus does not mean we are protected from falling silent in the face of injustice either or in some other way turn from the path we seek as a Christian.  

Yet in that first century moment of testing, Peter spoke a truth worth claiming again. That while we appropriately look to others for guidance along the way (even the occasional 19 year old out of his element), there is only one place to turn with the most enduring questions of life; to the One who has the words of eternal  life. 

Wise One, as we continue to navigate this life, help us keep turning to you. Amen.