What, then, must I do if I alone understand the doctrine of Jesus, and I
alone have trust in it among a people who neither understand it nor obey
it? What ought I to do, to live like the rest of the world, or to live
according to the doctrine of Jesus? I understood the doctrine of Jesus
as expressed in his commandments, and I believed that the practice of
these commandments would bring happiness to me and to all men. I
understood that the fulfilment of these commandments is the will of God,
the source of life. More than this, I saw that I should die like a brute
after a farcical existence if I did not fulfil the will of God, and that
the only chance of salvation lay in the fulfilment of His will. In
following the example of the world about me, I should unquestionably act
contrary to the welfare of all men, and, above all, contrary to the will
of the Giver of Life; I should surely forfeit the sole possibility of
bettering my desperate condition. In following the doctrine of Jesus, I
should continue the work common to all men who had lived before me; I
should contribute to the welfare of my fellows, and of those who were to
live after me; I should obey the command of the Giver of Life; I should
seize upon the only hope of salvation.
The circus at Berditchef[17] is in flames. A crowd of people are
struggling before the only place of exit,--a door that opens inward.
Suddenly, in the midst of the crowd, a voice rings out: "Back, stand
back from the door; the closer you press against it, the less the chance
of escape; stand back; that is your only chance of safety!" Whether I am
alone in understanding this command, or whether others with me also hear
and understand, I have but one duty, and that is, from the moment I have
heard and understood, to fall back from the door and to call upon every
one to obey the voice of the saviour. I may be suffocated, I may be
crushed beneath the feet of the multitude, I may perish; my sole chance
of safety is to do the one thing necessary to gain an exit. And I can do
nothing else. A saviour should be a saviour, that is, one who saves. And
the salvation of Jesus is the true salvation. He came, he preached his
doctrine, and humanity is saved.
[17] A city in Russia become famous by a recent catastrophe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account