ALONE
It is human to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone.
It is man-like to follow people, to drift with the tide.
It is God-like to follow a principle, to stem the tide.
It is natural to compromise conscience and follow social and religious
fashions for the sake of gain or pleasure.
It is divine to sacrifice both on the alter of truth and duty.
“No man stood with me, but all men forsook me,” wrote the battle-scarred
Apostle in describing his first appearance before Nero to answer for his
life, for believing and teaching contrary to the Roman world.
Noah built and voyaged alone.
His neighbors laughed at his strangeness but perished in style.
Abraham wandered and worshiped alone.
The Sodomites smiled at the simple shepherd,
followed the fashion and fed the flames.
Daniel dined and prayed alone.
Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone.
Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone.
Jesus loved and died alone. And of the lonely way his disciples should
walk, Jesus said, “strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Of their treatment of the many who walked in the broad way, he said:
“If ye were of the world, the world would love its own, but ye are not of
the world, therefore, the world hateth you.”
Israel in the wilderness praised Abraham, and persecuted Moses.
Israel and the kings praised Moses, and persecuted the prophets.
The synagogue under Caiaphas praised the prophets,
and persecuted Jesus.
The church of the popes praised the Savior,
and persecuted the saints.
The multitudes now, both in the church and the world, applaud the
courage and fortitude of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles and
martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness or foolishness like faithfulness to
truth today.
— Author Unknown
It is human to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone.
It is man-like to follow people, to drift with the tide.
It is God-like to follow a principle, to stem the tide.
It is natural to compromise conscience and follow social and religious
fashions for the sake of gain or pleasure.
It is divine to sacrifice both on the alter of truth and duty.
“No man stood with me, but all men forsook me,” wrote the battle-scarred
Apostle in describing his first appearance before Nero to answer for his
life, for believing and teaching contrary to the Roman world.
Noah built and voyaged alone.
His neighbors laughed at his strangeness but perished in style.
Abraham wandered and worshiped alone.
The Sodomites smiled at the simple shepherd,
followed the fashion and fed the flames.
Daniel dined and prayed alone.
Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone.
Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone.
Jesus loved and died alone. And of the lonely way his disciples should
walk, Jesus said, “strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Of their treatment of the many who walked in the broad way, he said:
“If ye were of the world, the world would love its own, but ye are not of
the world, therefore, the world hateth you.”
Israel in the wilderness praised Abraham, and persecuted Moses.
Israel and the kings praised Moses, and persecuted the prophets.
The synagogue under Caiaphas praised the prophets,
and persecuted Jesus.
The church of the popes praised the Savior,
and persecuted the saints.
The multitudes now, both in the church and the world, applaud the
courage and fortitude of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles and
martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness or foolishness like faithfulness to
truth today.
— Author Unknown
