I’ll Walk with You

When I was young, I remember watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood on PBS. The theme song has always stuck with me over the years. Not just melody, but the message too.

“Won’t you be my neighbor?”

It’s such an inviting message. Come live near me. Let’s experience life together. It’s more than just making someone feel loved. It’s making them feel wanted.

That’s what “I’ll Walk with You” is for me. It’s a song about making people feel more than loved, but wanted.

My sister asked if I would arrange this song almost a year and a half ago. Ever since, I’ve been kicking it around in my mind thinking about how to approach it. And I’ll admit, it had me stumped.

I don’t know about you, but I have not heard this song sung that much in primary. I don’t think it’s because of the message. I think it’s because it just wasn’t that fun to sing.

My goal with this one was to liven it up a bit. Make it fun to sing and listen too. But just like all the arrangements I do, there needed to be a reason for the approach. It can’t be gimmicky. Gimmicky is fun for a second, but when there’s no meaning to it, it gets old real quick.

Queue Mr. Rogers: “Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?”

I can’t remember what specifically made me think of it, but I had the thought of jazzing up I’ll Walk with You in the same jazzed up style of the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood theme song. Immediately it clicked for me. And it finally felt right. It was finally fun for me to play. It was finally fun for me to sing (which I don’t like to do too much).

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t heard this song that much at church. I hope this song doesn’t become lost in the pages of unsung church songs. It’s too powerful of a message.

It’s easy to profess love for those who are different. But unless we show it, the words mean nothing.

We need to do better.

It doesn’t matter if someone is homosexual. It doesn’t matter if someone is a different race. It doesn’t matter if someone doesn’t believe in everything you do. It doesn’t matter if someone is (heaven forbid) in a different political party.

Whatever the difference, it doesn’t matter.

Jesus walked away from none. He gave his love to everyone.

Let’s do better. Let’s start showing people that we love them. Let’s make them feel more than loved.

Let’s make them feel wanted.

If you don’t walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,
But I won’t! I won’t!

If you don’t talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t! I won’t!

I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev’ryone.
So I will! I will!

Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!

I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.