The Disciple Poem by Daniel Brick

It was easier when there were
fewer of us.Sometimes there
were just half a dozen of us,
mingling with the Twelve
and Jesus himself. Like brothers,
we linked arms as we walked,
and no one complained. Jesus pointed
to a flock of birds overhead,
"Be like them." And it was easy
to get shelter for the night:
servants of big estates led us
to the extra beds, or we slept
on the straw-softened floors
of a barn, or on a cushion of grass
with starlight swirling above us.
In the morning servants greeted
our Master with proper respect,
and they fed us fresh bread and
fruit. Some went to the gate with us.

As we walked to the next village,
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven,
and we prayed to our God, the God of
Abraham, and Moses, and David. He said,
we are all part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
He called Our God "Our Father, " and so do we.

Of course, my father had different ideas.
I knew he would one day summon me home,
but he seemed satisfied I lived according
to the Law... I witnessed more strangers
arrive, listen to Jesus and become disciples.
I no longer lived in ordinary time, all places
were made holy by His presence. Was this
the life I expected? Once from a hillside I watched
Jesus, far below, address a crowd of five hundred.
Suddenly I was asleep and what I was saw was
the purest landscape of my life. It was simply
peace on earth. A brilliant white light was shinning,
at its center a brighter yellow blazed. Slowly
it became the figure of Jesus, whose right hand
was raised, and He blessed me...A moment later,
I was in midst of the crowd at the base of the hill,
and the voice of Jesus was sweet in my hearing.