June 29 is celebrated as the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. As I reflected on their names, I found myself drawn to two images that seem to stand in tension: rock and tent. Peter suggests firmness, foundation, and trustworthiness; Paul, a tentmaker and missionary, suggests movement, flexibility, and service wherever God leads. Together, they invite me to build faithfully while remaining ready to move.
Peter means “rock,” and in Matthew 16:18 Jesus tells Simon that on this rock he will build his church. The name points to steadiness, trustworthiness, and the strength of a foundation. Peter lived into that call by preaching, bearing witness to Jesus’ resurrection, and helping form the early church.
Saul was the Hebrew name of the apostle also known by the Roman name Paul. A devout Jew, Saul persecuted early Christians before his conversion. While many readers associate the name Paul with a new spiritual beginning, Acts 13:9 presents the shift in a practical and cultural context, as his ministry moved beyond Jewish communities into the wider Roman world. Paul’s work as a tentmaker deepens the symbolism: tents are temporary dwellings, easy to transport and set up wherever they are needed. After his conversion, Paul travelled throughout the Roman Empire, serving God wherever he was led.
Relating this to my own life, God has called me to add a new chapter to my life, requiring that another foundation be built to support my faith as I move forward. This is like adding a new room to an existing building. Then there is the symbolism of the tent, which requires flexibility to serve in new places, with new people, new activities, walking by faith, but being grounded more deeply in the foundation that is opening another chapter in my life’s journey.
As I approach a new chapter in my life’s journey, I realize that inquiry and introspection are foundational to the places where God is calling me to serve.
More to come.
Christ in me, the hope of glory. That’s why glory matters.
Glory Matters 