Peter and Paul on their feast day

29 June is the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. A number of years ago at Digswell Village Church I presented this dialogue between the two of them and a television reporter who turned up to interview them, and was not particularly welcome. Yes, another anachronism, but we get a different angle that way, and all sorts of contemporary questions emerge,

Peter: Well, Paul, they're celebrating our day down there again today.

Paul: Yes, I wonder what they are all doing? Some won't even remember that it's us today.

Peter: Maybe, but why do we have to share a day anyway? You've got a day to yourself on January 25.

Paul: Ah, yes, the celebration of my conversion on the road to Damascus. But what about 22 February? At least for the catholics that celebrates your founding of the See of Rome, as the first Pope.

Peter: True enough, but that is not very exciting for all those protestants. They are more interested in the earlier part of my life.

Paul: Yes, that was rather important! You have a great advantage over me since you knew the Lord personally over several years.

Peter: I was very blessed to be chosen by Jesus to be one of his companions.

Paul: Not just one, Peter, but a special one. He gave you your name, Peter, the rock. 'On this rock I will build my church.' How about that, then?

Peter: Yes, but what a rock! My pride and impatience made me do many silly things. I would not believe Jesus when he said he was going to Jerusalem to be killed. I was even so stupid as to tell him He was wrong. and then I betrayed him at the time of his greatest need. Not once but three times.

Paul: Yes, yes, yes. We've been over this many times. Remember that you were forgiven and remember all that has happened since. And don't forget, I am no better. At least you did not persecute Christ's body, the young church. I did everything I could to arrest its members and I helped at the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr.

Peter: Indeed. But we don't need to score points off each other here. A bit too much like pride, huh?

Paul: Fair enough. .. Oh no!

Peter: What?

Paul: Here comes that dreadful television reporter again. He'll be wanting an interview for the people down there. Let's get away before he sees us.

Peter: Too late. We'd better get it over with quickly!

Reporter: (talking to viewers) .. and now I've just managed to get onto this cloud and to meet Saints Peter and Paul. Hi there Pete, Paul! I wonder if you would like to say a few words to our viewers on this special day? How about you, Pete?

Peter: Saint Peter, if you don't mind.

R: sure, sure. Or you P.. Saint Paul.

Paul: well, er , let me see.

R: I mean, people down there are not too sure about you guys nowadays. You know, Paul, they think you invented Christianity by changing it from what the first apostles preached, and you, Peter, may not even have been the first Bishop of Rome.

Peter: Now hold on. There are always people who want to believe that Christianity is a man-made ethic and no more.

Paul: That's right. Then they can comfortably ignore it, since to them it's only human and so it does not need God.

R: Right, right. So what would you say to those people?

Peter: They are wrong.

R: That all?

Paul: Not much more to say. If that's what people want to believe, that's what they will believe.

R: So what can be done?

Peter: Christians pray for them. We pray for them. But only when God the Holy Spirit confronts them in his own way will they turn to Christ and believe. Even Paul, who is one of the most intelligent Saints I know here in Paradise, was converted by meeting Christ, and not by arguments in his head.

R: Well, that's something to think about, isn't it, folks! And both saints in complete agreement too. But you didn't always agree did you?

Peter: Now don't start being provocative again. This isn't the Today programme, you know.

Paul: I always felt it was important to tell people when they were wrong.

Peter: You certainly did. They were all scared of you. So was I. Poor Corinthians! Poor Galatians!

Paul: Come on Peter, you know better than that and you know me better than that. It is false charity to say 'there, there' to someone who has made a mistake or who has sinned, even if he is a great apostle. It is better that the sin is recognised, confessed, and then it is over, it is forgiven.

R: That may be so, but congregations and ministers don't like that very much these days. People think being a Christian is more about being nice to people than confronting sin and growing in holiness.

Peter: which is exactly what we had to do. Good to see you have some insight Mr ..

Paul: No answer to that really. I, and Peter, preached Christ crucified and you can't get more fundamental than that!

Peter: Quite right. I don't know what people want down there. The pride of people individually and in the church is enormous. God is God, he revealed himself to us in Christ Jesus and we preached through the Holy Spirit. Take it or leave it.

R: I see. Well, viewers, this is rather more uncompromising than I had expected for a celebration! Let's try another line. .. Saints Peter and Paul, both of you wrote letters, and people sometimes read them in the Bible. Paul, you may not have written all the ones that bear your name, but ..

Peter: There he goes again. More provocation. Look, buster, Paul wrote some very good letters. It is true that some of it is difficult to understand ..

Paul: Hey, I say!

Peter: Oh, yes it is. When you get carried away, Paul, you pile phrase upon phrase and image upon image. You write a whole page without a full stop!

Paul: That's not fair. It's not may fault if I was inspired!

R: Yes, yes, but our time is getting short. Peter, what do you think was Paul's best passage?

Peter: That's impossible. You people below just want sound bites and catch phrases which you can then put your own spin on. You can't do that with Paul.

R: Well, people are so busy, you know.

Peter: That's no excuse when it comes to the word of God. Well, here's what I'd choose, because, if they fit this description, the Kingdom of God will be well established on earth.

            Love is ...

You know, that is a frightening and humbling list if you look at it the right way.

R: Fine, fine. How about you Paul. Peter didn't write so many letters, but ..

Paul: So what. Peter did so many other things. Anyway, this is easy. People should praise God in all they do, and Peter got it just right with

            Blessed be the God and Father

R: That's an excellent quote to end our conversation. A final word, before we return to the studio.

Paul: I hope people will pay attention to our comments and pray about them.

Peter: Absolutely. It's not complicated. It's about responding to God's call, through Jesus Christ,  and then living in the Spirit. Goodbye.