What and Where is God? A Human Answer to the Deep Religious Cry of the Modern Soul — John Shaqi
What and Where is God? A Human Answer to the Deep Religious Cry of the Modern SoulSwain, Richard La Rue
Religion
What and Where is God? A Human Answer to the Deep Religious Cry of the Modern Soul
Swain, Richard La Rue
Christianity; God (Christianity)
After supper I started for the schoolhouse across the dark fields.
During that journey of over a mile, the psychic lights came on making
all things beautiful. At the same time I was made inexpressibly glad.
The great change appeared to be in the universe rather than in myself. I
laughed and cried for joy. Recalling the Psalm, "For ... by my God have
I leaped over a wall," that, I thought, would be an easy thing to do if
a wall were there. What with laughing, making speeches, and thanking
God, I soon completed the journey.
As the schoolhouse was seated to face the door, on arriving late, I
confronted the whole congregation. This arrangement of seats made it
unnecessary for the people to turn and strain their necks to see each
one who entered.
In pioneer days it was customary to take a candle with you to church. On
arriving at the schoolhouse you would take your penknife, push the small
blade through the candle, stick the protruding blade into the window
sash, and there you were, as nice as could be. Or else you would stand
the candle on the desk in some melted tallow.
Though the schoolhouse was but dimly lighted, and the people whom I
faced that night were an ordinary crowd, yet in my psychic state I saw
the people as angel figures under limelight. And as the only vacant
seats were in the "Amen corner," I sat facing the congregation during
the entire service. The sermon was wonderful to me beyond words to
express; and yet I seemed able to understand it and to see all around
it.
After the sermon an invitation was given to "mourners." As none went
forward, the minister then came to me to inquire of my condition. When
with great joy I told him that I was converted, I was asked to relate my
experience. This unexpected request shattered my beautiful world as
completely as a hammer stroke would have shattered a piece of crystal.
Such a stage fright seized me that I could neither move nor speak before
they were compelled to go on with the service. This embarrassing
experience sent me from the highest state of bliss to the deepest state
of gloom. Peter's denial seemed trivial in comparison with mine; he had
denied the Lord under trying circumstances, but I had denied Him while
sitting in glory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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