When Leadership Breaks

Have you ever heard of these nicknames? "Fatherly Leader," "Sun of the Nation," or "The Perfect Incarnation of the Appearance that a Leader Should Have"? Strange, right? They are rather colorful—until you realize they belong to North Korean dictators. Some leaders simply don’t deserve their titles.

But some might. Simon Peter is one leader whose nickname is both fitting and ironic. In The Chosen and the Bible, Jesus gives him the name “Peter”: ‘And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.’ History shows Jesus was right—Simon Peter helped lay the foundations of the Catholic Church.

Yet there’s a twist. A name like ‘The Rock’ carries weight. Was Simon Peter able to carry it? Often, it seems not. He famously denied Jesus three times and, when trying to walk on water, literally sank like a rock. We’ll explore these stories more later. For now, they remind us how fragile leadership can be—even for someone like Simon Peter.

Perhaps you've experienced it yourself: that you were responsible for something, but went down grandly. Or you just notice that leadership is often glamorized, but real leaders stumble too. Simon Peter was allowed to discover that Jesus did not fail him. He reached out to fish Simon Peter back out of the water. And he gave Simon Peter, after his resurrection, the space to come back to his love for Jesus.

Today I want to invite you to reflect on your own “rock moments” in your life. Where did you sink painfully, how did you stub your toe? And how do you think Jesus might reach out His hand for you? Would you take that hand?

P.S. Are you enjoying this journey with Simon Peter? Your own character might even resemble his. Care to find out? Take our The Chosen 'Test of Character' and journey for a while with the character you have the most in common with.