by Jim Pappas
"Oh! How I do thank thee, my Lord, for bringing me to this place. Truly, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor mind imagined the glories of this place. Bless thee! Bless thee, bless thee, bless thee!"
Then I saw Jesus raise Christiana up and take her hand in His own. Raising His other hand and waving it over heavens billions, he announced in a voice that rang like seven thunders:
"Hear with your ears, all ye immortals! This is the dear one upon whom I have boasted, lo, all these many years! She has believed my Word! She has answered my invitation! She has been proud to serve me in the land of darkness! And now I am proud to serve her in the land of light!"
Then the multitude waved and cheered as the King took her by the hand and led her to her husband. Now when she saw him, she was sore amazed to see his glorious estate. He wore a diadem all heavy with jewels and his face shone with the vigor of eternal youth. Then the vast vaults of heaven went silent as Christiana timidly addressed him, saying,
"Christian? Is that really you?"
"Aye," said he with heart ready to burst for joy. "Aye, 'tis I."
"And this is indeed heaven?"
"Yes, Christiana, this is indeed heaven!"
"And am I really here?"
"Oh, yes, my love! You are indeed truly here!"
"Then 'tis really true! All true!"
"Yes, Christiana, true! All true!"
"Oh, husband! Bless Him! Bless Him, bless Him, bless Him!"
"Yea, indeed," said he. "Bless Him!"
"And bless you, my husband. For I am here by the power of your prayers. God bless you!"
Then the spirit of inspiration fell upon them both and they knelt at the King's feet, saying, "Yea! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be unto our God for ever and ever! Amen!"
"And oh, how great was their joy! But oh, how much greater the joy of He, who, foreseeing this moment had laid aside his royal diadem and taken upon Himself the form of a servant! And that, so that He might rescue this man and this woman from the city of Destruction. And not this man and this woman only, but also countless millions besides. Yea, it was for the joy that He intended to awaken in your heart and mine that He counted all the shame of the cross as nothing at all.
And what makes it all the more noble is that He did it all voluntarily. All on account of the love that He bears for we who walk this dark and dreary planet. Yea, more than willingly, for He loves us with an everlasting love - a love so powerful that it cannot bear to have the object of its affection linger longer in darkness and pain. Therefore did He exchange His glory for our shame; His riches for our poverty; His throne for our slavery. Yea, He took upon him the death that we deserve that He might bestow upon us the life that He deserves. Indeed, 'with His stripes we are healed'. All of this He did that He might demonstrate that God is indeed love.
As
for we
who remain behind -
Our part is to know Him.
To know Him is to love Him.
And to love Him is to serve Him.
To serve Him is to be filled with His Spirit,
and to be filled with Him is to dwell with Him in joy throughout the ceaseless ages
of eternity.
And thus it was with Christian and Christiana. Oh, you cannot imagine the joy of He who now beheld the wife of his youth standing before him in the glow of eternal health! Together again! Best of friends! Redeemed to give praises to their Maker and their King throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity!
Now I saw in my dream Christian and his wife walking lovingly in the heavenly country. That place where "the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. Where the tree of life yields its fruit every month, and whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. Where there are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees casting their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's friends, so long pilgrims and wanderers, have found a home."
As for Christiana's children, I heard one say that they were yet alive and so would serve for the increase of the Church on this earth where they were to stay a little longer.
Great-heart, after meeting in counsel with His Lord, was sent with certain others on a priority mission to the town of Stupidity in the province of Dark-land. Their assignment was to see if perchance they might persuade Stand-fast's wife, Marianna, to follow him on pilgrimage. Ah, but that thrilling account is a tale for another time.
Should it fall my lot to meet thee again in this place, dear reader, I shall give a detailed account of that about which, for now, I must be silent. 'Tis an exciting adventure, to be sure, and I do hope to share it with thee soon. Meanwhile, I shall bid thee, beloved seeker for truth, a reluctant farewell and hope soon to bow with thee at the feet of Him who is Love.
I do bid thee a good pilgrimage and a fond Adieu!
Jim Pappas
Wordsmith
Part II
The End
A complete audio dramatization of an earlier version of this story is available for your listening adventures at www.orionsgate.org/audio