Before Di Cock Crow

One yard for middle of night. Fire dey crack. Faces dey shine orange for darkness. And one man dey pull im cloth cover imself small more, dey hope say nobody go look am too well.

Only few hours before, for di Passover meal, Peter make promise to Jesus. Lord, I ready to go with you to prison and to death. Jesus answer am gently. I tell you, Peter, before di cock crow today, you go deny three times say you know me. But Jesus still talk dis one: I don pray for you, make your faith no fail. And when you don turn back, strengthen your brothers. Now dem don arrest Jesus for di garden. Di soldiers lead am go di house of di high priest. And Peter follow. No be near. From far.

For di middle of di yard, some people don light fire because of di cold, and dem sit down round am, dey talk with low voice. Peter enter quietly and sit down among dem. E near reach to see wetin dey happen to Jesus, and e hope say e ordinary reach so dat nobody go notice am. But one servant girl see am as e sit for di light of di fire. She look am well well. Then she talk to everybody, Dis man dey with am too. And Peter talk, Woman, I no know am.

Small time after, another person look am. You be one of dem. And Peter talk, Man, I no be. Di fire dey crack. Di night dey go. Like one hour pass. Peter still dey there. E don come far pass most of di others wey no get courage. But e no fit bring imself to talk di truth. Then another man talk, and dis time e sure. True true, dis man dey with am. E be Galilean. And Peter talk, Man, I no know wetin you dey talk.

And while di words still dey im mouth, cock crow. Dat same moment, Luke tell us, di Lord turn and look Peter. Across di yard. Through di light of di fire. Dem eyes meet. Luke no tell us wetin dey inside dat look. But Peter remember. E remember every word. Before di cock crow today, you go deny me three times. And Peter comot from di yard, enter di dark street, and cry bitterly.

Dat one for fit be di end of Peter story. Di man wey promise everything, and then talk say, I no know am. But remember wetin Jesus don talk. I don pray for you. When you don turn back. No be if. When. Few days after, when dem don find di tomb empty, di friends of Jesus talk to one another, Di Lord don rise true true, and e don appear to Simon. Simon na Peter. Di one wey fail, dem no forget am. Dem find am.

Why di third man talk say, e be Galilean? Peter na fisherman from Galilee, for di north of di country, and people from there dey talk with accent wey people for Jerusalem fit pick out. Di Gospel of Matthew tell di same moment like dis: di way you dey talk dey expose you. So Peter fit hide im face for shadow, but every time wey e open im mouth, where e come from clear to everybody.

Before di cock crow. You go find am for Luke chapter twenty-two, verse fifty-four to sixty-two. Peter fail di same friend wey e love pass. But Jesus don already pray for am, and dat look across di yard no be di last word. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you don disappoint Jesus, you go run from am, or you go turn back to am?