by Anna Haiar
Holding on to the Words of Life
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:68-69, English Standard Version
As the school year comes to a close, there are certain conversations over the course of the past eight months that come to mind when the weight of my students’ stories quietly settles in. I have students whose parent is undergoing cancer treatments, students that have lost a parent, students struggling with health issues, home instability, anxiety, and learning disabilities. Many carry more than what should ever rest on young shoulders, and they ask questions that don’t have easy answers. Their lives don’t always follow the neat, hopeful narratives we might wish for them. Like church pews on Sunday mornings, the seats in my classroom are filled with broken people trying to make sense of a broken world. 
In John 6:68–69, after declaring that he is the Bread of Life in the synagogue, Jesus asks His disciples if they will leave too. Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Peter knows the sincere truth and, perhaps distraught by the amount of followers who were beginning to turn away from Jesus, makes a desperate declaration. There is nowhere else to go.
This truth meets us right in the middle of incomplete, difficult stories. As any parent knows, we can’t provide all the answers or guarantee a smooth path forward for our children. But we can point them, again and again, to the One who does have the words of eternal life. This truth we carry with us as we navigate the difficulties of life.
When we feel unseen, Jesus speaks worth.
When we feel hopeless, Jesus speaks life.
When our story feels beyond repair, Jesus speaks redemption.
Peter’s words remind us that faith is not always about certainty, but rather, it is often about clinging to the truth that even when life is confusing, painful, or incomplete, Jesus is still the only place where real life is found. So we stay. We keep showing up. We keep pointing them to Him. We keep trusting that even the most broken stories are not beyond His reach.
Because at the end of the day, the question remains the same:
Where else would we go?
Only Jesus has the words of eternal life.
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
