Second Fiddle

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 106

By the fact I'm the 2nd born... I've always played second fiddle.  I was always known as "Vito's little brother."  But he's never called "Henry's older brother."  

When we were small... he would always be the main character and I'm the sidekick.  He'll be Batman.  I'll be Robin.  He'll be Sherlock.  I'll be Watson.  He'll be He-Man and I'll be Orko... Man at Arms... Stratos.  Anyone but He-Man.  And if there wasn't a clear side kick... I'll be the villain.  He'll be Prime.  I'll be Megatron.  He'll be Lion-O.  I'll be Mum-Ra.  It was almost a law of nature.  A rule of the household. 

In a way... I didn't mind.  I knew my place.  He indeed does outshine me in so many ways.  And I'm willing and very comfortable being in my #2 spot.  Riker to his Picard. Poseidon to Zeus. 北霸王 to 救世者 (not 救世主!! chillout!!) 

Even when we went to school.... Sts. Peter and Paul.  And it comes down to finding a patron saint... he has to pick Peter.  The so-called greatest of all apostles.  The first pope.  The rock.  The one who will stand at the white pearly gates.  The one who holds the keys to the gates of heaven.  Big bro gets first billing.  

And me... I'm of course left with Paul.  Not that I picked him... but Paul was what's leftover.  But by default... I'm stuck with him.  Who is Paul?? 

Well well well....  He's the massacre.  The hypocritical pharisee.  He's the one that Christians fear and who the Romans hate.  He's the scumbag of scumbags.  Peter holds the keys... Paul holds a freakin SWORD!!!  Peter wrote 2 letters in the New Testament.  Paul wrote nearly the entire New Testament.  Peter was Jesus' favorite?? No way....that was John!!! Peter spent 3 years with Jesus?? Paul spent 13!!!!  In Acts... when Peter was afraid of the Gentiles... Paul schools him.  And when the time comes for the church to reward Paul... does he stand still to accept it and glorify himself??? Nope.... the greatest glory is for Paul to get onto his next missionary trip.  Screw the formalities of being the first pope and the holy see.  Who cares if the basilica at the Vatican is named after you.  Who did more for the world?? Peter or Paul??  

As we graduated from Paul's Life and Letters today... I came to 3 resounding facts.

1) For the rest of my life... I will always remember that Paul was a tentmaker.

2) Some people like naming their kids after biblical characters.  Our church as a ton of Hannah's and Daniel's and Samuel's.  If I were to have kids again... I would consider naming them Priscilla and Aquila. (亚居拉和百基拉)

3) And I think Peter pens it best.... even he gives props to Paul.  

He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16

So I think... that as Peter gets all the limelight that Paul deserves... I'm so much like Paul that, I don't give a d@mn.  I just wanna go do my thing.... you can keep your limelight.  

Heh... and the irony of all of this.  Paul isn't even my patron saint.