Father’s Day at church was a special Christian youth theater presentation. It was a wonderful abridged version of the classic allegorical book, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Written in 1678, it is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature. It accurately represents the Christian life, our pilgrimage, and how we must run the race set before us with great endurance, throwing off the sin that so easily entangles us.

Pilgrim, the main character, was loaded with a giant bag on his back representing the Burdens we carry before we encounter Christ and enter into a relationship with Him. He’s introduced to the Book (the Bible) and yet what he reads, seems to magnify his weight of heaviness. He becomes discouraged as the fiery attacks of the enemy bring him into a mindset of despair. It isn’t until he meets Hope, who shares the narrow path we must walk if we choose to follow after Jesus.

The Pilgrim cries out to the Lord in desperation and the Burdens are lifted. His name is changed to Christian.

The story walks with this young believer through his life on his journey to Heaven. The ups, downs, and pitfalls of steering off the narrow path and onto roads that seem so appealing and right but ultimately lead him away from God and the Celestial City.

He enters into Vanity Fair- a scene that rightly depicts the temptations of the world that we as believers often face. And although he is warned about the enticement and lure of these pleasures he still walks right into the trap. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?

His eyes see how attractive it looks and the desire overwhelms and draws him into the vain delights.

Christian makes another stop en route to Heaven which seems so beautiful and peaceful. But it was off the narrow path and his stay at Doubting Castle was anything but restful. He became fearful, losing all hope and wanting to end his life. The enemy filled his mind with lies about who he was and God’s ability to save him. Scripture came to him and God spoke,

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  More verses came to him, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor death nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God pulled Christian out of the slimy pit. He put his feet on a solid rock and put a new song in his heart as he traveled the path to which he was called.

Christian makes it to his glorious destination. His journey of hardships was not in vain and his faithfulness to God led him to the Celestial City.

Watching the believer’s pilgrimage unfold from start to finish was powerful. Even if it is in a fictional, allegorical sense, it still pricked my heart as I considered that we too are sojourners in this land that is not our home.

We are also on an expedition to the Promised Land and while we desire to live our lives as Christ would want, we don’t do it perfectly. Our journey is full of pitfalls, heartbreak, wrong turns, and bad decisions. 1 Peter tells us, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” It’s so much easier said than done, because we don’t always do what we want to do!

We also face attacks from the enemy and have to muddle through dark times. And in it all, God is with us. We wander but His presence is never far from us. His Spirit dwells in us to guide and rescue us.  He whispers His words of hope and strengthens us to get up when we fall. He knows the depravity of our hearts and yet, He loves us anyway. It’s why He sent His son to die for us so that we could have redemption of sins and eternal life.

He’s rooting for us on our journey to the Celestial City and just like the Pilgrim in our story He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. Our lives are a personal Pilgrim’s Progress adventure revealing the sanctification process that is underway as we walk with Christ. Our pilgrimage is refining us and sometimes the process can be loaded with pain and uncertainty, trials and hardship. We cling to Jesus at times but often we will step out on our own and lose our way. And yet, God is there. He tells us in Isaiah 42:16,

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.”

We can rejoice and take heart that our Good Shepherd is leading the way on our pilgrimage to the Promised Land. Through joy and sorrow, rough places and smooth we learn and grow and come to understand with each new day the faithfulness of our God. And that is what I call progress. (Written June 2023)