Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin
This novel, chosen for the Modern Library’s 100 Best Novel’s List, is quite possibly THE best detailed salvation account I have ever read. Go Tell It On the Mountain is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of a fourteen year old boy, John, who battles sin on all sides, but ultimately succumbs to the awesome power of God; thereby, releasing his battle against sin to the Lord and ultimately overcoming it. Although at times Baldwin could be graphic when (I felt) he didn’t need to be, overall, this is a MUST READ novel for the Christan man or woman.
The Theological Aspect:
Partly why I love this book so much is because it addresses REAL issues in the church, such as pride of the heart, lust of the flesh, and deception of the mind and others. The reader is given a graphic and expressive view into the sinful human condition, which emphasizes the redemption John discovers in Christ at the end of the novel, (but *WARNING!* may be offensive to some readers).
Particularly in Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints: Gabriel’s Prayer, Gabriel, whose role is fallen minister and father of John in the book, recounts two memorable experiences: his conversion and the first “conference-revival” he preached. Gabriel gives his testimony from his B.C days, which is quite horrible and deep in sin, to his ministry as a preacher of the gospel.
I would like to share an excerpt from this section, and then discuss it briefly:
When the Sunday [of the conference-revival] came, and he found himself once more among the elders, about to go to the table, Gabriel felt a drop in his happy, proud anticipation. He was not comfortable with these men–that was it–it was difficult to accept them as his elders and betters in the faith. They seemed to him so lax, so nearly worldly; they were not like those holy prophets of old who grew thin and naked in the service of the Lord. These, God’s minsters, had indeed grown fat, and their dress was rich and various. They had been in the field so long that they did not tremble before God anymore. They took God’s power as their due, as something that made the more exciting their own assumed, special atmosphere. They each had, it seemed, a bagful of sermons often preached; and knew, in the careless lifting of an eye, which sermon to bring to which congregation. Though they preached with great authority, and brought souls low before the altar–like so many ears of corn lopped off by the hired laborer in his daily work–they did not give God the glory, nor count it as glory at all; they might easily have been, Gabriel thought, highly paid circus-performers, each with his own special dazzling gift. Gabriel discovered they spoke, jokingly, of the comparative number of souls each of them had saved, as though they were keeping score in a poolroom. And this offended him and frightened him. He did not want, ever, to hold the gift of God so lightly. (Baldwin, with my personal emphasis added)
These elders of the church, supposed holy, anointed men of God, took pride in the power of God, which they counted for their own! They manipulated that power of God (which, therefore, no longer becomes God’s power) to get the responses they wished from the congregation. How sickening and disgusting!
Gabriel, even soon after his true conversion to the Lord, took pride in the authority he receives from God. At the conference, he has not yet came to the degree of falsehood that the elders have, which is why he has the above convicting thoughts on sincerity of the faith. (Gabriel’s eventual downfall is this proud spirit and also lust in his heart, which leads him to the same deception of the elders.)
Today, many spiritual leaders deal with these same issues–among others. Baldwin does an EXCELLENT job of detailing this journey of falling to sin and the rise out of it or the continual downfall into it.
While Gabriel’s story is one that is part of “the continual downfall” into sin, John’s is one that rises out of it. In Part 3: The Threshing Floor, the opening introducing verse, beneath the chapter title says,
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
When we discover our sin, we anguish over it, and cry “Woe is me! for I am undone…” in repentance before God. Part 3 is John’s metaphoric journey through the darkness of sin, as he lies “astonished beneath the power of the Lord.” He realizes that his sins of pride, hatred, and malice will lead him only to death, hell, and the grave. He recognizes his sin, as though he is in a vision or trance, and he sorrows over that sin and desires to be “lifted up” from the darkness into the light. He finds, however, that no one can help him. He must do this alone, and he must decide whether he wants to give his life as a sacrifice for God, should it come to that.
John, after praying all night unto the break of morning, releases his hold on his life, and gives in to the Lord’s power and presence. While before in his sin he had been experiencing terror, and fear, and anguish, and pain, in his new life with Christ, he finds joy unspeakable and relief from the heavy burden of sin! Tears flow from his eyes as tears of new found life in Christ.
This beautiful passage describes his newness upon redemption:
Yes, the night had passed, the powers of darkness had been beaten back. He moved among the saints, he, John, who had come home, who was one of their company now; weeping, he yet could find no words to speak of his great gladness; and he scarcely knew how he moved, for his hands were new, and his feet were new, and he moved in a new and Heaven-bright air. (Baldwin)
Redemption Does Not Mean Perfection
A message I loved in this book was that just because someone is saved does not mean they are perfect and have expectations of perfection. For example, upon John’s redemption, he goes to his father (who before he had hated), talks with him, allows a smile from his lips, and “something died in John, and something came alive.” What died was the sinful hate he had against his father, and what came alive in him was the strength to be able to extend compassion and love to him; the situation had not changed, rather, John had changed by God’s grace.
My Concluding Thoughts:
As I stated before, some readers may find some of the content in Go Tell It on the Mountain offensive and “indelicate.” For the graphic and obscene scenes (which are normally in certain sections; it’s not throughout), you may chose to ignore this novel. If you do so choose to read the book, you may find, as I did, that the story of sinner to redeemed is too awe-inspiring to make the read not worthwhile. I found that because of this book, I was encouraged in my walk with the Lord, convicted to look at my heart and my life, and brought to remembrance my personal “redemption” story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I will definitely take certain parts of it with me on this journey in Christ. An excellent, excellent novel, with an excellent ending!
If you would like to buy Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin, you can find it on Amazon.com here. (Or you could borrow it from your library for free!)
If you would like to look at the other books I have on my book list for 2011, or read their book reviews, you can click here!
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Zealous Dedication 