Beyond Barney’s Badge

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle

1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6; Matthew 16:13-19

For years, my favorite TV show was Andy Griffith, and my favorite character was Barney Fife, the small, clumsy deputy whose courage – despite his fear – came shining through in one episode when he was confronted by two burly lawbreakers. Trembling, Barney said to them, “See this badge? It means I’m sworn to uphold the law. That’s what I intend to do, and you fellas better respect that… You’re both a lot bigger than I am, but this badge represents a lot of people, and they’re a lot bigger than either of you. Now are you going to get movin’?” In that moment, Barney’s small stature was overcome by the power of what he carried: A badge symbolizing a far greater authority than his own.

Of course, when we think of authority in the Church, we don’t think of a badge but a chair; specifically, the chair of St. Peter, which we remember today. Our Scripture passages help us do that in a couple of ways.

First, the letter of Peter tells us that Church leadership is pastoral; leaders are shepherds who tend, not tyrants who bully. What’s more, both the flock and the authority to tend it belong to Christ, not to his appointed shepherd. Such pastoral leadership, like Barney’s badge, represents something much larger than itself. We see that in Matthew 16: When Jesus declared Peter the rock on which his Church would be built and entrusted to him the keys of the kingdom, Peter – though an ordinary man – took on a role greatly magnified by the divine power invested in him by Christ.

Psalm 23 is, therefore, a great reassurance. Again, think of Barney’s badge: As that reassured those around him that he wasn’t acting alone but on behalf of a greater power, so the authority given to the Church shepherds assures us that ultimately the Lord is our Shepherd. How could we want for anything, knowing that we are always under the protection and care of the Good Shepherd, working in and through the leaders He has appointed?

Finally, this Feast prompts us to think about leadership and courage in our own lives. Why? Because Christ has “deputized” us through our baptism to proclaim the gospel. Where do our strength and courage come from? Our abilities? Our size? No; they come from the authority and grace God bestows upon us. Like deputy Barney Fife who, despite his fears, held his ground and did his duty, each of us is called to hold fast to our faith; to lead, to serve, and to be beacons of God’s love, always under the care and authority of the Good Shepherd who guides and backs us every step of the way.

So, let us embrace the badge Christ has given us, whether we are leaders in our community or quiet witnesses to His love, and trust that His authority, like Peter’s keys, opens the door to new beginnings and eternal hope. May we be emboldened to act with the courage of deputy Barney Fife, knowing that we are cared for, and backed by, a power infinitely greater than ourselves.

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