The characters in ancient literature seem larger than life. You can’t imagine bumping into Achilles or Aeneas at the local WalMart. On the other hand, Peter is somebody with whom we would like to share a pint at the local pub. He is a genuinely human character with all of the glory and all of the faults that implies. He was someone who, as the saying goes, wore his heart on his sleeve. As the prophet Jeremiah reminds us, the heart is where God has planted the divine presence. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts. This reminds us that just as Jesus could build the church on this flawed individual he can use us to spread gospel too.
