Recently, I read the “Walk” series by Richard Paul Evans.  The story revolves around a man who experiences unfathomable loss within a very brief period:  his young wife dies, his business is stolen by his partner, his house and his possessions are seized for non-payment.  He does not know what to do or where to turn.  He loses his will to live.

In his despair, he hears his wife’s voice telling him to live.  He has no idea how to proceed; he decides to walk.  He decides to walk from Seattle Washington to Key West Florida.  Why Key West?  Well, it is the farthest point from Seattle, where he was at the time.

He is searching for hope.  He is searching for God and a reason to keep living.  During his trek, he meets people who influence his journey and guide him to hope and faith.  He also experiences more tragedies and obstacles, testing this faith and belief in hope and in God.

The central character, Alan Christofferson, (note the name!) confronts spiritual issues during his long walk across the United States.  He helps and is helped by the people that he meets and he is hurt by the people that he meets. 

One incident stands out for me.  As he is nearing the end of the walk in a Florida town off I-95, a pastor of a local church approaches him and asks, “Have you found God?”  Alan, in a cynical response says, “I didn’t know He was lost.”  

The pastor then tells Alan that the church of which he is the leader is the only true church in all the world.  In order to be saved, everyone must join his church.  In the following excerpt from Walking on Water (Simon & Schuster, 2010, page 256), Alan and the pastor have a dialogue that moved me:

 “And you think it’s just that billions of people who were raised differently than you or in other places of the world are not saved?” 

“They are sons and daughters of perdition,” he replied.  “Unless they repent and come unto Christ, through our church, they cannot be saved.”

It was hard for me to believe that he could so easily throw all of humanity under the bus in the name of God.  “Your little five hundred (members) represent a grain of sand in the vast beach of human existence.  If that is all your god is able to save, he is not very powerful.  And if it’s all he’s willing to save, then he is certainly not very loving.  Frankly, I think you worship a pathetic god.”

The man looked at me in horror.  “That’s blasphemous.  I fear for your soul.”

“Don’t bother,” I replied.  “Your god doesn’t scare me.  I’ll stick with a god who is great enough to love all his creation.”

Amen!  Our God loves you unconditionally!  Loves all of creation, unconditionally!  Our God is an Awesome God!  Enough said.

Terri