The Crucifixion of Philip StrongSheldon, Charles M.
General
The Crucifixion of Philip Strong
Sheldon, Charles M.
Christian fiction
I believe if Christ was on earth he would
again call for this expression of loyalty to him. He would again say,
'So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath,
he cannot be my disciple?'
"All this is what I call on the members of this church to do. Do I say
that you ought to abandon your own houses and live somewhere else? No. I
can decide only for myself in a matter of that kind. But this much I do.
Give yourselves in some genuine way to save this town from its evil
wretchedness. It is not so much your money as your own soul that the
sickness of the world needs. This plan has occurred to me. Why could not
every family in this church become a savior to some other family,
interest itself in the other, know the extent of its wants as far as
possible, go to it in person, let the Christian home come into actual
touch with the unchristian, in short, become a natural savior to one
family. There are dozens of families in this church that could do that.
It would take money. It would take time. It would mean real self-denial.
It would call for all your Christian grace and courage. But what does
all this church membership and church life mean if not just such
sacrifice? We cannot give anything to this age of more value than our
own selves. The world of sin and want and despair and disbelief is not
hungering for money or mission-schools or charity balls or state
institutions for the relief of distress, but for live, pulsing, loving
Christian men and women, who reach out live, warm hands, who are willing
to go and give themselves, who will abandon, if necessary, if Christ
calls for it, the luxuries they have these many years enjoyed in order
that the bewildered, disheartened, discontented, unhappy, sinful
creatures of earth may actually learn of the love of God through the
love of man. And that is the only way the world ever has learned of the
love of God. Humanity brought that love to the heart of the race, and it
will continue so to do until this earth's tragedy is all played and the
last light put out. Members of Calvary Church, I call on you in Christ's
name this day to do something for your Master that will really show the
world that you are what you say you are when you claim to be a disciple
of that One who, although he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor,
giving up all heaven's glory in exchange for all earth's misery, the end
of which was a cruel and bloody crucifixion. Are we Christ's disciples
unless we are willing to follow him in this particular? We are not our
own. We are bought with a price."
When that Sunday service closed, Calvary Church was stirred to its
depths. There were more excited people talking together all over the
church than Philip had ever seen before. He greeted several strangers as
usual and was talking with one of them, when one of the trustees came up
and said the Board would like to meet him, if convenient for him, as
soon as he was at liberty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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