Peace Pilgrim Talks About Christianity

I read the King James version of the New Testament in its entirety and some excerpts from the Old Testament just after the beginning of my pilgrimage. They are important books to a great number of people, and I felt the need to inquire of their contents in order to make my outreach to others more complete. Yes, the Bible contains a great many truths, but most often these truths are not really understood. People replace the spirit of the law with the letter of the law and truth becomes distorted into falsehood. If you desire confirmation of a truth, it is best to seek it from within and not upon a printed page.

You will note that Jesus says, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not what I say?” He expresses this thought more than once. Therefore, it seems to me that a real Christian would be living by the laws of God that Jesus taught. Jesus also says, “Say not, ‘Lo here’ or ‘Lo there’, for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.” In so many illustrations he tells people what they are capable of. Real Christians would allow their lives to be governed by the Kingdom of God within — by the God-centered nature — which is sometimes called the indwelling Christ.

Many people profess Christianity. Very few live it — almost none. And when you live it people may think you’re crazy. It has been truthfully said that the world is equally shocked by one who repudiates Christianity and by one who practices it. I believe Jesus would accept me because I do what he told people to do. This doesn’t mean, though, that all who call themselves Christian would accept me. Of course I love and appreciate Jesus and I wish Christians would learn to obey his commandments. It would be a most wonderful world.

CHRISTIAN CHURCH

He said, “Of course I may be wrong,
But I wouldn’t be surprised
If this were the greatest Christian church
That ever man devised.

Our organ is the very best
Our choir stays on key.
Our stained glass windows — priceless
Our pulpit — the best you’ll see.”

But only the wealthy were welcome there,
I heard slanderous gossip galore,
And from that pulpit so highly prized
The preacher glorified war.

“Is there anything more you could want in a church?”
In pride, he said to me.
“Just one thing,” I made reply —

“Christianity!”

There was a time when I was walking out of town at sunset and a well-to-do couple in a big house called me over. They had read about my pilgrimage and felt it was their Christian duty to warn me that ahead on the way lay a very wicked place called 'South of the Border.' They just wanted to warn me not to go near that place. They did not offer food or shelter, however, so I walked on for several hours.

It was a very dark night with a heavy cloud cover and all of a sudden it started to rain. Big drops were coming down, and I was carrying a lot of unanswered mail. I looked for a place where there might be a shelter and nearby I saw a combination gas station, restaurant and motel. I ducked under the roof over the gas pumps and started to put the unanswered mail into the front of my tunic so it wouldn't get wet. The man from the gas station came running out and said, "Don't stand out there in the rain, come into the restaurant." The man in the restaurant said, "Oh, we read all about you, and we would like to offer you a dinner or anything you want." By that time I realized where I was. I was in 'South of the Border.'

The man from the motel was sitting across the table from me and he gave me a room for the night. They also gave me breakfast the next morning.

There may have been gambling in the back room; something was going on there. But they treated me in a much more Christian fashion than those who warned me against them. It just demonstrates my point that there is good in everybody.