In His Steps (1896)

I tried reading this timely Christian classic, but couldn't draw myself to finish. It seems this book was written after the American Puritan style of Christian beliefs where right behavior, rules, and morality are key... not Jesus. The premise of the book is about a congregation who promises to ask themselves, "What Would Jesus Do?" before making any decisions in life. They are then to go with what they believe Jesus would have done in each situation in their lives. The only problem is that this doesn't seem to be the same Jesus I have come to know or read about in the Gospels. Jesus isn't about rules, morality, and right behavior. Instead, He is about grace, relationships, servanthood, and love. He didn't expect society to change or conform to a set of rules and standards. The Pharisees did this. Instead, He wanted to usher in a new kingdom, a kingdom of God that entailed each believer to die to self, carry the cross, love God, and serve others. Instead, it seemed each of the congregants in this book wanted society to conform to their standards rather than getting to know their society, developing relationships with them, and telling them about Jesus. The newspaper magnate dropped questionable ads, dropped a story about a boxing match, and stopped the Sunday paper because he felt everyone needed to go to church on Sundays. The beautiful singer refused to get paid for singing in the theatre because she thought it was evil to be paid for something God gifted her with. In the town square where open air preaching was conducted, the people who attended were referred to as heathens, sinners, and "needless traffic"... where saloons were evil and tobacco was a work of the devil. Remember, these are the very people Jesus loved and befriended. Jesus wouldn't be hanging out at churches or revivals. No, He would be hanging out in the "Red Light" districts, bars, saloons, and other places of debauchery. Not to partake in these things, but to rescue the sick and downtrodden (remember Mark 2:17).

I read the first 100 pages of this and after not seeing the Jesus of the Gospels, but rather an American Puritan theology with an American revivalism theme, I decided to not finish the book. Perhaps it was a bit premature of me to not finish it. And, perhaps the story later takes a turn for the better, following after the true Jesus of the Bible. But, after 100 pages I just wasn't seeing it. The only positive thing I can say about the story is the tag line "What Would Jesus Do?". We should indeed be asking ourselves this question every moment of our lives. And, for that I applaud Mr. Sheldon for coming up with this wonderful and thought-provoking question. ( )

This is such a facinating story from an athropological standpoint, even if you aren't "religious". First published in 1896, this is where all of those WWJD things came from. It is a story of a town where many of the most influential residents make a pact to ask the question of themselves "What would Jesus do?" and act accordingly in their lives, business affiars etc... ( )

Rated: A- ( )

This novel had a truly wonderful message that is important for any and every Christian to hear and to think about. The story involves a small church in a railroad town taking the pledge to always ask the question, "What would Jesus do?" before making decisions in both their personal land business lives. One thing that the reader needs to be aware of from the get-go though is that this novel takes place in the late 1800s and the syntax/language as well as some of the cultural norms are extremely foreign to the modern reader. Another issue I had with this story was the hardcore attack of "the saloon" as it refers to any establishment that provides alcohol. Well, we all know what happened when Prohibition actually did occur about 2 decades later, rampant crime of all sorts to keep the continued production of alcohol under wraps. So, with hindsight, this aspect of the book just seemed a little ridiculous to me. Besides that though, the focus on getting one's hands dirty to help those who are less fortunate than you was truly powerful and it was heartbreaking to see the way so many of the upper class citizens saw the poor. I can only hope that our views on the less fortunate of today are FAR different from those held over a century ago. Definitely an eye-opening and enjoyable read. ( )

A great book that really makes one think about all their actions and how they are using their talents for the kingdom of God. I have had this book for decades and knew about it, but had never read it until recently. I wish I had done so before, as it was so though provoking that it caused some change in my habits. I would call this a must read for all people. A quick read, and well worth it.