Discipleship on Wheels

by Hannah Diles 

Every day for four years, I trekked up the stairs of the American Studies Building to my English classes, passing the quote on the wall from the famous New England poet Robert Frost.

The excerpt from Frost’s poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening read:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep…”

Even though it’s a well-worn cliché, the comparison between our walk of faith and our lives on this earth is fitting. The Lord Jesus called his disciples to follow him and walk beside him, learning his ways and shaping their lives around the journey. They walked to the rhythm of the waves by the Sea of Galilee; they followed the path to the cross; they followed, even unto death, their mentor and Lord. It was not a singular choice but a way of life.

In the same way, the path of discipleship — the miles ahead to tread — resonated with me in the various spaces I entered, from classrooms to relationships formed during my undergraduate years. One of those relationships began in the English classroom and front office with Dr. Jon Singleton.

In class, Jon encouraged intellectual rigor through reading difficult texts and wrestling with their implications. He was passionate about the subject matter and also about his students. Jon maintains an open-door policy, where anyone can walk into his office for a thoughtful conversation, a prayer or honest — sometimes difficult — advice about academic or personal matters. I admired that he often took these meetings outdoors, spending hours each week with students or colleagues, tracing the tracks beneath the trees on the front lawn. Some of these were regularly scheduled meetings where he walked beside his students in a mutual bond of trust and intellectual depth.

Jon invited me to join this discipleship-on-wheels with him and one of my classmates, Becca Broome (’24). For most of my junior and senior years, these walks became a part of my weekly rhythm of spiritual disciplines. The space beneath the trees became a sanctuary where I could walk side by side, week after week, with people I trusted with my personal, spiritual and intellectual life. All year round, I looked forward to those hours where we covered both literal and metaphorical miles and upheld the promises of community. We always concluded meetings with shared prayers and check-ins about whatever was on our hearts.

Jon became more than a professor and then a colleague — he became my friend. It is incredibly humbling to walk with someone in my community who is well respected and well educated. Jon showed kind respect by listening to Becca and me as we shared our career aspirations and intellectual endeavors. But he went a step further, asking about our families and experiences. Our friendship became something mutual and dynamic, growing to meet the needs of each space and season.

Jon showed me what it is to mentor and disciple. He showed me how to love and walk like Jesus by walking beside me and the students who come after me. He taught me the importance of being a lifelong learner and building intergenerational relationships. Each week, we spent an hour or more discussing how we interact with Christ through various media — what we were reading or our relationships with others. 

Jon taught me the power and importance of intentionality: if you want something to be a priority, you must choose to spend time on it. Now, I read good books with people I love who understand the importance of good literature and its ability to shape our character. I prioritized discipleship by leading a group during my undergraduate years and currently serve as a small group mentor in the high school ministry at my local congregation. Jon inspired me to invest in other mentors by regularly meeting to seek their wisdom and prayers as I discern what my future holds.

Discipleship is a legacy Jon received from his own mentors at Harding, especially Dr. Ross Cochran whose character is marked by gentleness and patience tempered with fire and passion. Both of these men truly see and meet the students they mentor, just as Jesus did with his disciples.

As I live and walk on, I am honored to carry that legacy forward.