Christian at Doubting Castle
Our story begins as Christian stumbles into a miry swamp. He has no idea where he should go, and he trudges along and must finally admit that he is lost. He meets a whole range of persons: Mr. Talkative, Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-Both Way, Mr. Moneylove, Lord Time Server, and Mr. Two Tongues—who unfortunately is a preacher.
Finally though, Christian decides that he will take Hope as his traveling companion, and the two leave with a sense of joy taking a path that parallels a river. Lifting their eyes, they can see that the road meanders around a large meadow. Wouldn’t it be faster to cut across and rejoin the road later?
Christian and Hope make the fateful choice to leave the River Road and take the shortcut across the meadow. Not far along, a thunderstorm surrounds our travelers and rages around them. Lost again, they must find cover somewhere, and in the distance they see a castle. Seeking shelter of any kind, they approach the gate, and are welcomed in by a giant.
However, when day breaks, Christian and Hope see that they have come to a dark place. Their host turns on them and throws them into a dungeon pit. This is Doubting Castle, and its overlord is Despair. Now in chains, Christian and Hope are subjected to cruel torture and days turn into weeks. Finally, Despair parades Christian and hope around the castle so that they can see the bones and skulls of those who have never left Doubting Castle. “Give up! Take your own lives. Why live in such a condition of torture and chains.”
This day is the darkest of all, but at midnight an unfamiliar sound rings across the prison. It is the sound of chains falling and doors opening. Christian and Hope are making their escape and Despair becomes so angry with himself that he falls into a raging fit and is unable to pursue our travelers.
How do they escape? Christian remembers that he has been given a key near the beginning of his journey—the Key of Promise. It has the power to open any lock or any door on the journey to the Celestial City.
In the middle of his grief, remorse, and pain Christian realizes “What a fool am I to be in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty.”
Kathleen Norris reviews this story of Pilgrims Progress, and then connects them to the older works of the desert monk Evagrius: “it is not in our power to determine whether we will be disturbed by [bad thoughts] but it is up to us to decide if they are to linger within us.”
Do we recognize the power of the Word of God? We have been given the Key of Promise. Yes, we will face adversity but it is in our power to decide how long we will stay in chains. Find your freedom in Christ today.
If you lead a ministry, remember that your ministry does not have to stay locked in chains. Take in your hands the Key of Promise. Remember that Hope walks with you wherever you go.
Make 2009 a time of liberty. Drink in the truth of Isaiah 55:10-11
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
