The year of the rooster

This year is the Chinese year of the rooster. Personality wise roosters are always active, amusing, and popular within a crowd. Roosters are talkative, outspoken, frank, open, honest, and loyal individuals. They like to be the center of attention and always appear attractive and beautiful.

Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others, whether at a party or just a social gathering. They enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charm on any occasion.

Roosters expect others to listen to them while they speak, and can become agitated if they don't. Vain and boastful, Roosters like to brag about themselves and their accomplishments.

Within the Jesus story I see this as a great description of Peter who had his own painful encounter with a rooster in the early dawn hours of Jesus’s betrayal.

It was here that he was faced with his own failure as a leader and his inability to cope with life as it was playing out all around him.

It will always take some form of failing, stumbling or falling to bring us to the end of our self sufficiency and to the first but crucial step of inner transformation -- to be willing to give up control to the Real Guide who is the real source, the deep well, and the constantly flowing stream of love. Happy year of the rooster.