telling the story ~ Simon's lament
Composition version: yes.
lyrics
God this night is cold
but I can't face the dawn
I'm known as brash and bold
but that old me is gone
He said, you're Peter -
you are the rock...
but what's the meaning
if it's only talk?
can't say I wasn't warned
yet still I could have sworn. . . .
a man must think he's strong
a man can be so wrong
tell me Peter
what was that I heard
tell me Peter
what was that bird?
the man who'd go the farthest
[who'd never waver, never break]
it echoes in my ears
and everyone must hear -
I would even die
but I would not deny
first to falter
first to break
first to falter
first to fall
the man who'd go the farthest
now I go in the darkness
and I weep bitterly
narrative
Simon was Jesus' most prominent "disciple" - a word that translates roughly to follower, one who learns from a master teacher. Simon was one of three who went with Jesus almost everywhere He went after His baptism. Brash, self-confident, he was a sort of natural leader of the band of Jesus' followers.
For that matter, even Jesus designed that Simon would be a leader: He gave him another name, Peter, which meant "small rock." The idea was that Jesus' community would be built upon Simon and the other core men Jesus called "apostles" ("sent ones"). Peter was a foundation stone.
Nonetheless, on the very evening of His betrayal and arrest, Jesus had predicted that all of His followers would scatter and He would be left alone. True to his character, Simon asserted that even if everyone else forsook Christ, and indeed, even if he had to die with Him, he would not desert Jesus. For His part, Jesus responded that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.
Simon, of course, fled when Jesus did not offer armed resistance to those who arrested Him. But that was not yet the lowest point he would go. He managed to get into the courtyard of the high priest to catch a glimpse of the night-time trial from a distance. And while there, by his accent people recognized him as being from Galilee - the district in the north which was home to Jesus. Three times, it was suggested that he must be a follower of Jesus. (After all, why else would a Galilean be in the high priest's courtyard, especially at this time of night?)
Each time, Peter denied; in fact, the third time, he swore to God that he did not know Jesus.
And then the rooster crowed.
What was that bird?
Peter's heart sank, as he recognized himself in the portrait Jesus had painted just a few hours before. His master was about to be sentenced to death, and he, brave, bold Simon Peter, had just taken an oath claiming to not even know the man!
All he could do was go out into the dark night and cry.