Peter

On the eve of Good Friday, Jesus was arrested. His trial lasted all night and well into the morning. All his followers took fright and ran away, leaving Jesus to face death alone; only Peter followed along behind in the darkness. When Jesus was taken to the high priest's house, Peter crept into the yard outside, and tried to squeeze in unnoticed beside the night-watchers' fire; but a Galilean has an accent, and a firebrand follower of the strange new teacher who claimed to be God, was likely to be remembered by the more observant members of the public...

"Hey, you! Aren't you a friend of the man who's been arrested?"
"No! No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. I've seen you with him."
"No. You must be mistaken. I don't know him."
"Of course you do. You're obviously from Galilee, like him. I bet you're one of those 'followers'."
Poor Peter. If they kill the leader, how much more quickly will they kill the follower.
"I told you, I've never met him!" he cried.
And then the cock crowed. What was it Jesus had said to him? "Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times."
And Peter went outside, and wept bitterly.

When my mother was at university, a friend taught her a song telling the story of that night. Over the years, it has become a family favourite. Never having come across it anywhere else, we have come to the conclusion that it must have been actually written by that friend - or perhaps a friend of that friend. The song is called Stand in the Shadow, Peter. I have recorded myself singing it, and you can find it in the column on the right.