TO STAND ALONE
It is human to stand with the crowd, it is Divine to stand alone. It is
man-like to follow the 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 the social and religious
fashion for the sake of gain or pleasure; it is divine to sacrifice both on the
altar of truth and duty.
"No man stood with me, but all men forsook me," wrote the battlescarred apostle
in describing his first appearance before Nero to answer for his life for
believing and teaching contrary to the Roman world.
Truth has been out of fashion since man changed his robe of fadeless light for a
garment of faded leaves.
Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness and
perished in style.
Abraham wandered and worshipped alone. 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.
Of the lonely way His disciples should walk, He said: "Strait is the gate and
narrow the way which leads unto life and few there be that find it."
Of their treatment by the many who walk in the broad way, He said, "If you were
of the world, the world would love his own; but because you are not of the
world, therefore the world hates you."
The church in the wilderness praised Abraham and persecuted Moses. The Church
and the Kings praised Moses and persecuted the prophets.
The Church of Caiphas praised the prophets and persecuted Jesus. The Church of
the Popes praised the Savior and persecuted the saints. And multitudes now, in
the Church and in the world, applaud the courage of the patriarchs and prophets,
the apostles and martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness or foolishness, like
faithfulness today.
WANTED TODAY, men and women, young and old, who will obey their convictions of
truth and duty at the cost of fortune and friends and life itself.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN