The Pilgrims Progress – II

“O my darling wife”, he [the pilgrim] said, “and my dear dear daughters, I am stressed and troubled by a Burden in my life, it’s a realization of the way I’ve been living, the way we’ve all been living; and it’s a realization that this City [the world] that we live in is under judgment. We’re not living the way we’re supposed to live, and while I don’t understand it all yet, there must be a better way, there must be a way of escape. The things I’ve been reading in this Book [the Bible] are warning me of the way we’ve all been living. We’ve got to find a way out, a way out of the Burden and a way out of the judgment to come.” [My rendering.] Pages 1 – 2 Barbour 1985 edition.

“At this his [the pilgrim’s] relations were surprised, not because they thought he was telling them the truth, but because they thought he was delusional. They hoped that after a good-night’s sleep that he’d return to his senses.” [My rendering.] Page 2 of the Barbour 1985 edition. 

John Bunyan begins his story with a Burden (sin), a warning (judgment to come), and relational conflict that leads to separation, but then eventually to the salvation of Pilgrim’s wife and daughters.

In our society we deny the Burden and make a fortune doing so. We deny sin by insisting that it doesn’t exist, and then because our consciences cannot well function in such denial we attempt to medicate the Burden away by drugs (legal and illegal), alcohol, materialism, sex, entertainment, achievement…the list is endless. Elements of the church water down the Burden not wishing to offend church members and communities. We’d rather feel good temporarily than have peace with God eternally.  

When I think of much of the church’s failure to warn others of the reality of death and judgment I think of Isaac Cline, a meteorologist who believed that a major hurricane could not damage Galveston, Texas – to the point where he argued against a proposed seawall to protect the city. Mr. Cline’s false belief, and his refusal to issue a timely evacuation warning in 1900, led to the deaths of thousands, including his own family.

On the other hand, Pilgrim shares both his Burden and his knowledge (though it is fledgling) of coming judgment, and though he suffers rejection and separation from his wife and daughters, the familial separation will be but temporary (though he doesn’t know that) because his wife and daughters will later follow in Pilgrim’s steps to the Celestial City. We often never know the results of our faithfulness and obedience; we are not called to know the results, we are called to be faithful to Christ and to others by witnessing to the Truth of the Gospel.

Unlike our cotton-candy Gospel, John Bunyan begins by showing that obedience to Jesus Christ will entail relational difficulties, misunderstandings, rejection, and separation. Jesus speaks of these things, making it clear that we owe Him all of our love and commitment and that obedience to Him will, at times, entail conflict within families.

Yet, Bunyan’s portrayal of Pilgrim’s witness is one of care and concern, not one of arrogant self-righteousness. Pilgrim’s witness is birthed out of his own sense of Burden (sin) and of his concern for his family and neighbors. This should be a warning and correction to professing Christians who self-righteously condemn others, judge others, and hold themselves above others. It seems we tend to see either a functional denial of sin and judgment to come in the church, or we see these things used to bludgeon others in self-righteousness; a Christ-centered love for others, a love that is willing to accept rejection, a love that will lay its life down…this is the love that we are called to.

Mark 8:27 – 38.