Y
Faith-Ann A.
McGarrell
Come, Follow Me™
remember playing games such as “Follow the
Leader!” and “Simon Says!” and “In the River! On
the Bank!” as a child in school. In these playground
games, my friends and I learned to listen and follow
instructions. These skills acquired during childhood
play proved beneficial in adulthood when life’s path
seemed uncertain, or situations seemed unfamiliar.
Yet, I also remember hearing warnings such as
“Just because your friends are doing it doesn’t
mean you have to do so!” In other words,
be careful who you follow. And this is
true in all areas of life.
These thoughts come to mind
every time I read the story of
Jesus’ call in the Gospels. In
Matthew 4:18-22, Mark
1:16-20, and Luke 5:1-
11, we have a record of
Jesus’ interaction with
those who would become His
first disciples: Andrew, Simon
Peter, James, and John. “*Come, fol-
low me,” Jesus said, “‘and I will send
you out to fish for people’” (Matthew
4:19, NIV).! On first reading, it seems
straightforward: Jesus called. They followed.
Yet, 1 believe there was more to it than that. Several
points resonate upon reflection on this story, and as
I consider the articles included in this issue. In this pas-
sage of Scripture and the context surrounding it, Jesus
invites the disciples to follow Him; in this invitation,
they find their purpose, and in doing so, they gain con-
fidence in the One they choose to follow. And we can
find the same.
In Jesus’ invitation, there is certainty. The word
«ec
follow, as used in this passage, is defined as the call to
“come away” or “to know, recognize, or perceive.” In
essence, to put aside all else and to know with
certainty.” Most people have a response to the word fol-
low, a word, which, like many words in the English lan-
guage, has both positive and negative connotations.
When called a “follower,” some perceive the trait as
a weakness, and they consider anyone demonstrat-
ing it to be indecisive or passive. There is even
a popular saying in English, “Be a leader, not
a follower.” Thankfully, in the current lit-
erature on leadership, researchers em-
brace the term “followership”? and
recognize that to move forward
in any situation, followers and
leaders must work to-
gether.
Each month, TikTok
records one billion users.
Of this number, the largest
percentage is aged 10 to 19. Ac-
ross all social media platforms, the
most active users, which account for
88 percent of all users, are the 18-to-29 de-
mographic.* There may be no personal rela-
tionship between the users and any of the indi-
viduals they follow, and the connection may be
superficial. Yet, the pull is there. Why?
One reason is that humans have an innate desire to
be known and seen. In this issue of JAE, the authors of
the article, “Discipling the Whole Student” (Scott R.
Ward et al.}, refer to research conducted by The Spring-
tide Research Institute. A 2022 report from this longitu-
dinal study on “Belonging” indicates that one in three
young people experience persistent loneliness; 40 per-
Continued on page 48
http://www.journalofadventisteducation.org
The Journal of Adventist Education * Vol. 85, No. 2, 2023
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