In His Steps --Book Review

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here

This week's guest blogger is Linda Cliff. As usual, she has sent along a book report. 

In His Steps: What would Jesus Do?

                               -- Charles M Sheldon

 

I took this book off my bookshelf in desperation.  It has sat there for at least twenty five years until there was a day when I had nothing to read and upon opening the book I saw it had been given to my father-in-law on his twenty-fourth birthday.  So I took a chance and started to read.  

The first thing I noted was that the book had been written in 1896, and may have influenced  the popular movement of “What would Jesus do”.

 In His Steps concerns the inhabitants of a town who pledged themselves to live for a year as Jesus would.  The main character, the Reverend Henry Maxwell, meets a homeless man who confronts Henry and his family and congregation about their lack of Christ-like mercy. Henry asks church members to take a pledge for a year to live as Jesus would.  The novel then follows the lives of four people as each person’s life is radically changed by the challenge and the town of Raymond is forever transformed by the love and sacrifice offered by the Christians inspired by the challenge.

 As you can imagine the challenges outlined in 1896 are different than the ones we see today.  But underlying human greed and sin present us with the same struggles today.  We have recently been exploring the scripture that asks us to Love thy neighbour as ourselves.  This book walks us through the consequences of embracing this command and how emulating Christ will change the world.

Originally, the author read a chapter of this book to the young people at his church in Topeka, Kansas. While it was being read it was also published in a religious weekly. Unfortunately there were problems with the copyright and the story became part of the public domain.  Lacking a proper copyright the book was published by sixteen different firms all over the world.  Because of this the book has had more circulation than any other book except the Bible. The book has sold over 50,000,000 copies and ranks as one of the best selling books of all time.

 There is a modern rendition of Sheldon’s book in our library.  It updates the story as in 1896 they were still using horse and buggy to get around, it is well worth the read. You can also read the original on-line as part of Gutenberg project here.

There is also a movie version, available for free on YouTube here.

 

 

Linda Cliff

Ed. Note: Thanks Linda for sharing your Christian reading journey on this blog.

WWJD?

I first became acquainted with the "What Would Jesus Do?" movement in the late 1990's when golfer Payne Stewart wore the letters in a bracelet.  Turns out, that was a revival of a much earlier practice.  In 1896 Rev. Charles M. Sheldon published a book called In His Steps.  It was a huge, best seller at the time.  Although the author made almost no money from the book, he  delighted in the fact that so many people read his message of living a life as Christ would.
    Over the years several authors wrote adaptations of In His Steps and in 1997 Garret W. Sheldon, the great grandson of Charles Sheldon wrote What Would Jesus Do?, a contemporary version of his ancestor's original book.  
    When I began the book, I wasn't sure I'd like it, the writing style is reminiscent of 1960's Sunday School leaflets, but I soon became so fascinated with the characters and their tales that my inner editor fell away.  The story, this is fiction, concerns the minister of a large, well-off congregation who realizes that their church is "successful"  in secular terms but failing in their duty to model Christ to the community around them.  So he and a number of his congregation take a pledge to live their lives in accordance with Jesus' teachings.  Every time they must make a decision they ask first "what would Jesus do?"  The results are amazing.
     Attendance at church drops, but attendance at the after-church meetings of those taking the pledge goes up.  A TV station decides not to air questionable programming or advertising.  The result is an increase in viewers.  A store keeper decides to remove pornography, tobacco and liquor from his shelves.  His business falls away.  He faces financial set backs and his wife is very unhappy.  A young woman breaks her engagement.  The congregation sets up a mission in the seedy part of town and sees many broken souls respond to Christ's call.
    Living "What Would Jesus Do?" has consequences, some welcome, some more difficult.  
    The book is an easy read, but one that made me think, made me consider my own choices, turned "what would Jesus do?" from a slogan on a coffee mug into a real question for life.  Thanks to Rev. Irwin for loaning it to me.