Almost everyday we use keys. Keys to the house, the car, the office. Keys to gates, cupboards, files, maybe even keys to someone else’s house. Keys give us access to something, they get us in. The possession of keys presumes trust. Others give us or lend us their keys only if they trust that we will use them responsibly. We, in turn give or lend our keys to others based on our trust that they will use them responsibly.
On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, we are reminded that Jesus gave to Peter the keys to the Kingdom of God. In giving Peter the keys to the Kingdom, Jesus gave him access to the role of leading his newly established Church. The great apostle Paul was also entrusted with those keys in his role of bringing the Good News of the Kingdom to the Gentiles, to the bigger world. The “keys” given to Peter and Paul opened the doors for them to bring the life and the love of Jesus to the world through the Church.
Peter and Paul were given those keys because God trusted them. As God’s Church, we have been given those same keys. That means that we, too, are trusted by God to bring the life and the love of Jesus to all the places where we have access.
Everyday we use keys. Keys give us access to our homes, to our cars, to our work, to the homes of others. As people entrusted with the keys to the Kingdom, we have the opportunity to bring the life and love of Jesus to all the places we have access to through our keys. Let’s think about our keys and what we have access to. What do we do once we get in?
You would not hand over your keys to just anyone. Neither did God.