Judas and Peter

I find myself thinking, unoriginally,  about Judas and Peter.

Both betrayed their Lord. An argument might be made, I suppose, that Peter's betrayal was not as severe as Judas's, that Judas was way more active, Peter's a reaction only. After their betrayals both seem to have realised and been crushed by their actions. Both went out and wept, Judas even attempting to give the money back in an effort to undo what he had done.

It what happens next that exercises my imagination.

Judas commits suicide. I can imagine far too vividly his sense of being blocked in, of there being no way out. He is unable to see that the Lord's love for him would reach beyond even his betrayal, and that his suicide would not hide him from God. Peter, though, does something entirely different. He runs toward the Lord, at the news of the empty tomb, when they are fishing he leaps out of the boat and flounders ashore to be with Jesus more quickly. He clings to the person of Jesus.

I see both Judas and Peter in myself but pray this day for the grace to keep running toward the Risen Lord and his re-creating love just as Peter did.