I have a friend. I've known this particular friend for 20 years. We're both about the same age, and yet, I've always looked up to him as a mentor. He carries with him an air of competence, confidence, and dependability. I've learned as much or more from him I think than any other person I know ('cept maybe my family). His name is Chuck Neighbors. For approaching nearly 40 years, he has been at the helm of a thriving drama ministry which represents a number of very talented actors.
Chuck has a number of 1-man plays that he performs to audiences around the world and yet his most requested show is his first one and is based on a book that is 120 years old. You might think "120? If those were pounds that would be like the combined weight of the backstreet boys!" Maybe a few of those reading this will be able to relate, but I doubt any of us were around in "those days." If there was ever something that qualified for "those days," this would be it.
The language of the book (In His Steps by Charles Sheldon) is very archaic and somewhat simplistic and it was hard not to roll my eyes every once in so often. The book was written during a time in history when our nation was trying to come to grips with emancipation, segregation, and prohibition. It was a time when Entertainment was an occasion to dress up and see a play, ballet, or listen to soloist. As I read the book, I was thinking "Come on! You mastered King James English, and taught the prose and poetry of Shakespeare, you should be able to comprehend this." I forged ahead and at some point near the beginning, the Spirit seemed to help me see the astounding truths, wrapped up in 19th century verbiage.
The basic storyline is that a jobless man, or "tramp" referring to tramping across the country, comes to the little railroad town of Raymond looking for work. He stops by the home of Rev. Henry Maxwell, the pastor of the 1st church of Raymond. Rev. Maxwell, having been interrupted in writing his sermon for this Sunday, was a bit short with the tramp and sent him on his way without so much as a kind word. That Sunday, the tramp comes to Rev. Maxwell's church and addresses the congregation.
He tells his sad life story, how he lost his job, how his wife died, and how he left his little girl in the care of friends. Then he asks a question of the congregation, "What do you Christians mean by following the steps of Jesus?" He goes on to say that he wondered how the Christians in this town could sing those hymns, and yet not seem to live up to the words they were singing. Finally, the poor man challenged the congregation with, "But what would Jesus do?"
Throughout the next week, Rev. Maxwell pondered the profound words of the out-of-work tramp and decided a response was necessary. The next Sunday, he addressed his congregation with this challenge. “I want volunteers from the First Church who will pledge themselves, earnestly and honestly for an entire year, not to do anything without first asking the question, 'What would Jesus do?' And after asking that question, each one will follow Jesus as exactly as he knows how, no matter what the result may be.”
It is from this point that the story begins to follow a number of parishioners from various professions over the course of the next year. The reader is lead through these various sub-plots and given the opportunity to decide for themselves how they might the answer the question "What Would Jesus Do?"
Some of the stories in the book might require some effort to follow, but I believe it is well worth it. The book has fallen into the public domain, so in addition to various paper publications, you can download an ebook for free through Gutenberg Press.
You may want to also ask your church to contact Chuck's ministry and have him bring his performance of this important story. You may also consider taking Rev. Maxwell's challenge and see how big an impact one little question can have on a life. "What would Jesus do?" It's not an easy path, but there are rewards.
Chuck Neighbors website: www.mastersimage.com
if anyone would be interested in an electronic version of the book, it can be gotten from the Gutenberg Press: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4540
