UPetru -- owazalwa nguSimoni, indodana kaJona - omunye wabafundi bakaJesu, ungomunye wabantu ababaluleke kakhulu eBhayibhelini. Ngokusho kwamaVangeli amathathu kwamane, wayeyindoda yokuqala uJesu ayibiza ukuba abe umfundi, futhi uJesu umveza ngokucacile njengomholi waleli qembu. Igama lakhe, alinikwa uJesu, livela egameni lesiGreki elisho “idwala,” uJesu alichaza ngokuthi “phezu kwaleli dwala ngiyakulakha ibandla lami.” Uzoqhubeka abe ngomunye wabasunguli nezinzalamizi zesonto lokuqala lobuKristu, futhi uthathwa amaKhatholika njengopapa wokuqala.

Lapho kukhulunywa ngaye emaVangelini, uPetru ngokuvamile ufanekisela ukholo. Ngezinga elingokomoya, uPetru umelela “iqiniso elivela ebuhleni,” noma izimiso zeqiniso ezigxile enjongweni yokuba muhle nokwenza okuhle. Esimweni sakhona esiphezulu, lokhu kungaba iqiniso laphezulu, imibono yothando evezwe iNkosi ngokuqondile; esimweni sawo esiphansi kwakuyoba imithetho yokuphila okufanele yamukelwe futhi ilalelwe. Isizathu sokuthi lokhu kube umqondo obalulekile -- nokuthi uPetru ungumuntu obaluleke kangaka -- ukuthi iqiniso lalolu hlobo yinto yokuqala esiyidingayo ukuze siqale uhambo lukamoya oluya eNkosini. Esigabeni sokuqala esinjalo sithwele kanzima izifiso zobubi futhi asikwazi ukwethemba imizwa yethu nokusabela kwemizwelo, kodwa singaphakamisa izingqondo zethu ngaphezu kwalezo zifiso futhi siqaphele iqiniso ngeNkosi nokuphila. Ngaleyo ndlela singaziphoqa ukuba senze okulungile futhi silwe nezifiso zokwenza okubi; uma senza lokho ngokuzibophezela, ukwethemba, kanye nethemba eNkosini, kancane kancane uzosusa lezo zifiso ezimbi size sibe izingelosi, senza okuhle ngothando. Kodwa konke kufanele kuqale ngoPetru -- itshe eliqinile, elingenakunyakaziswa leqiniso eliwukuphela kwesisekelo esifanele ukuphila.

Fire, in the spiritual sense, can mean either love or hatred depending on the context, just as natural fire can be either comforting in keeping you warm, or scary in burning down your house. Our language reflects this, too -- we use concepts like a smoldering hatred or a burning love. So fire signifies a love, either a good love of the neighbor and to the Lord, or, in a bad sense, selfish love of oneself that, if unchecked by conscience, leads to hatred of anyone that opposes it.