In 1919 Marie Lloyd sang ‘My old man said, “Follow the van,/Don’t dilly-dally on the way.” And hit the jack pot. Music-hall audiences loved it. just as a year or two earlier they loved ‘Keep the home fires burning.’ And a couple of decades later they sang ‘Lili Marlene.’
‘Follow me,’ said Jesus. And they did. Peter and Andrew left their nets and accompanied Jesus. They could hardly know what they were letting themselves in for but they felt a compulsion to follow. The same happened to James and John. There were healings and they could hear what was to become known as the Sermon on the Mount.
‘Follow me,’ said the Piper in Hamelin. First the rats, then the children heard the pipe. It was irresistible. Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats responded and were led to their destruction in the River Weser. And, then, because the Mayor and his council defaulted, the children followed the piper. ‘/Little boys and girls with rosy cheeks and teeth like pears’ followed the piper and disappeared into a great cavern.
Somebody, somewhere is this moment making a film and has commandeered a vehicle with the words ‘Follow that car!’ You can’t have a thriller without a chase any more than you can have a thriller without an escape from captivity. But something more is needed. A horse needs a stable and maybe a Norwegian rug. A would-be politician needs a constituency.
Many say that ‘Follow me’ is the key to understanding Christianity. ’We don’t need baptism or a tick in the Confirmation book. We don’t need to declare our belief in the Trinity. All we need to do to be a Christian is to follow Jesus’ example. There’s something in that. Something. But not enough. Not quite enough.
HARRY POTTER AND OTHERS
Turn to fictitious children and you encounter Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling’s creation has sold 500m+ books. Her books have been translated into 80 languages.
Richmal Crompton’s William was and remains a favourite. She published 38 books about her scruffy 11-year-old between 1922 and 1970.
‘Alice in Wonderland’ has never been out of print and has been translated into 174 languages.
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