It was a long journey for Peter from that first invitation along the sea of  Galilee to follow Jesus to that moment when Peter came to  love Jesus along the same seashore three years later. (Tell the story.) Along the journey Peter had to be transformed by grace; Peter had to die to what Peter wanted in this relationship; Peter had to let go control of the relationship; Peter had to want what Jesus wanted and nothing else.

Falling in love is like being baptized in fire. We begin our journey of love first by being baptized in water. God pours his love upon us, shares his life with us by which we become adopted sons and daughters of the God who is love. “Love consists in this: not that we have loved God, but that he has loved us” (1 Jn 4:10). Then we experience baptism in the Spirit, in which having recognized the unconditional love of God we desire more than ever before to turn away from sin, to accept God’s love and return God’s love through the power of the Spirit. But it is not until we receive the baptism of fire that our hearts longs for God as much as we long for the breath in our lungs.

Story: Man wanted to grow in his love for God; came to the holy man and asked to be taught how to love God more. The holy man invited the young man to wade into the river until the water was chest high. Then without warning the holy man grabbed the man by the hair and plunged his head under the water, holding it there until the man began to gasp for air. Then he raised his head out of the water. When the man caught his breath, the holy man plunged his head once more under the water, holding it there even longer. Again, when the man thought he no breath left, the holy man lifted his head out of the water. No sooner did he catch his breath again, than the holy man pushed his head under for the third time. He began to blow bubbles and swallow water, when the holy man released his grasp on the man’s head. After catching his breath, the man gasped, “Why were you trying to drown me?” The holy man responded: “When you desire God more than the breath in your lungs, then you will have fallen in love with God.” (To be continued)