Roosters!

According to the latest Mexican census, Plan de Ayutla has more roosters per capita than any village in Chiapas, and someone forgot to tell them that they are only to crow at daybreak. Because I grew up "in town," not on a farm, I naturally assumed that roosters knew this and acted accordingly. Being in a rural area such as Chiapas has been a real learning experience. The roosters here crow all the darn time…all day and all night! Debbie Freeman, a Presbyterian pastor from Little Rock Ark, had a revelation about roosters and the story of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus.

We read the account in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus tells Peter that before the cock crows Peter will deny him three times. Peter is confronted by a servant girl who recognized him as a follower of Jesus. Peter says "Woman, I do not know him." Then he is recognized by another, and Peter says again “I am not one of them.” Finally, he denies Jesus a third time, and a rooster crows.

After spending a couple days in Plan de Ayutla, Debbie realized that roosters crow all the time, and she began to consider how Peter must have felt every time he heard a rooster crow after that fateful morning when he betrayed his friend, teacher and Lord. He must have relived the feelings of shame and guilt many times over the hours and days after Jesus was crucified. I imagine him cringing each time he hears a rooster crow.

But, the rest of the story is that Jesus was raised from the dead after 3 days and stood before Peter. I am sure forgave him and released him from his guilt. So my revelation about roosters is that they should remind me that Christ lives! I’ll be reminded of that many times each day as we spend time in the villages of Chiapas.