Followers

Jesus said to Peter, "Follow me." Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.

Where he leads I will follow...
an old gospel hymn rings out
and looking at the road today
blown and covered yesterday
with sand today with driven snow
I am bent over seeking to follow aching
to keep him in sight.

When darkness falls we sing
the old favorites and ancient
sorrowing psalms and retell
stories of promise and commitment
of love undying and faithfulness
and we wonder silently as we drift off
huddle against the ferocious wind
where do we go tomorrow?

As we wake with the light blanketed
shimmering across the snow our warm bodies
roused from sleep by wakings possibility
the way ahead is cleared as if by breath
gentle and constant which leads us away
from danger and whispers to us move on.

We followers would be of the one
who clears a path when we cannot see
who scales the heights and removes scales
from our sight calms our quaking hearts
setting captives like us free to
follow love's way.