The subtitle of this book is “The Emotional Life of Simon Peter” and the author is the award winning Christian musician. The book is an exploration of the dynamic and contradictory life of the apostle Peter. The fact that Michael Card is of an artistic background means that a portrait of Peter is presented that is arresting as it covers all the New Testament references to his life and a sensitivity and love of Peter is evident in the author’s treatment. It is fascinating to contemplate the fact that the impetuous fisherman was transformed into the pivotal leader of the early church. This book is clearly the fruit of a number of years of careful study and contains some fresh insights as well as thoughts and considerations more familiar. Perhaps the hinge which helps open the main contents of the book is the question Jesus asks of the disciples, “Who do you say that I am”. This is answered by Simon Peter and leads to the confession of Jesus identity as “the Son of the Living God”. Immediately upon this confession being uttered Jesus established Simon’s true identity as being “Peter”, a stone or a little rock. His true identity will issue from the identity of Jesus. The path of Simon son of Jonah as he followed Jesus involved the dismantling of the self, the Simon of instability, false bravado and emotional turmoil and the shaping of a new creation in Christ Jesus who will become the leader of the apostolic community. Most Christians identify in various ways with this process and the kind, consistent, exhaustive way in which the Lord Jesus handles His servant is convincingly brought out in this book. Towards the end of the book certain helpful contrasts are made between the Apostle Paul and Peter. Michael Card regards Peter as ‘the bridge’. The man the Lord used to help bring the Christian church out from being a sect of Judaism into that which if ‘for all nations’. This was accomplished as Peter himself was emancipated from the close confines of his own prejudices. All in all this is a refreshing look at the life of Peter.
