"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man" (Luke 5:8).
After witnessing the miraculous catch of fish that nearly sank his boat, Simon Peter fearfully acknowledged his sinfulness in the presence of Jesus.
Jesus quickly dismissed Peter's plea that he depart from him. Instead, he called Peter to be a "fisher of men".
Despite his failings, Peter ultimately discovered that Jesus is a relentless God who desires real intimacy with all his children.
In his book Heart of the World theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar describes God's approach this way:
"He desires nearness; he would like to live in you and commingle his breath with your breathing. He would like to be with you until the end of the world. He knocks at all the souls. He makes himself small and inconspicuous so as to be able to partake of all their little transactions and concerns. . . He seeks trust, intimacy; he is a beggar for your love."
Whether it is because we feel unworthy or because we allow only the most immediate concerns to command our attention, we sometimes feel more comfortable with a limited presence of God in our lives.
That, however, is not how God wants to love us.
