Pilgrim's Progress Is Always Relevant

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

Like those who remember every detail of a major event, I can recall every detail of the first time I read The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan.

I had never heard of the book or the author. Therefore, I had no idea that it was a Christian allegory. There was simply something about the cover of the children’s version that made me think this would be an interesting story to read to my then young children, so I tossed it into our book crate on our weekly visit to the public library. (Some people have book bags, but we checked out so many books at one time that we needed a crate.)

A few days passed before we had a chance to cozy up on the couch for an afternoon read aloud.

It didn’t take long. By the time I got to the part where Christian leaves the City of Destruction for his journey to the Celestial City my voice started breaking up as tears ran down my face. My children thought something was wrong, so I had to take time to explain what I was discovering about this story and how it parallels our Christian walk. From that moment until the last page was read, they knew that when Mommy paused it meant she needed a tissue.

Many years have passed. My children are grown, married, and raising their own children now. But, guess who is still reading about Christian’s journey - and who still needs a tissue when she pauses?

As soon as they were old enough to understand the story, I began reading it to my grandlittles, and explaining its significance to our own lives. I recently purchased a large, and beautifully illustrated children’s version (my new favorite), which has been perfect since all of my grandchildren live far away and our weekly story time takes place over the computer.

(Full disclosure. I have multiple copies of this classic masterpiece. There’s probably a name for it, but I confess that every time I see one that I don’t have, my purse starts to dance. It’s like every version calls out to me from the four corners of the Earth… “You need me!” And, I answer the call with a resounding, "YES, I do!" I may even have more copies of this book than my husband has Bibles.)

In his article, Seven Good Reasons to Read Pilgrim’s Progress to Your Children (https://unlockingthebible.org/.../seven-good-reasons-to.../), author Tim Augustyne writes, “If you had lived a hundred years ago and you were a Christian, odds are that you would have had a copy of Pilgrim’s Progress in your home. This is no longer the case. I would estimate that less than 1 in 10 Christians I know have read Pilgrim’s Progress, and if you’ll humor me for a moment, 99% of Christians I talk to under the age of 30 have never heard of Pilgrim’s Progress.”

If you’ve haven't read The Pilgrim’s Progress, I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy. (But, unless you like reading Old English, you might want to start with an abridged version - or better yet, a children’s version.) Let’s change that statistic to 10 in 10 readers who have read the story of a lowly pilgrim who perseveres through many trials on his way to the King’s city. Why? Because it's our story too.

Don’t let me be the only cry baby in the bunch.