Walking in Light

A few days after Alfred and Joe had prayed for Tillie and she was immediately raised up Alfred came to Joe, informing him that Preacher Brumbaugh was very ill with inflammatory rheumatism, and was unable to move himself. Alfred had been to see him the day before and reported him in a serious condition, stating also that they were in need of someone to sit up with him that night, as his own family needed rest. A happy thought came to Joe, and he replied, “I can take care of him tonight, and will be only too glad to do so if I can help them in any way. Are you going back to see him today? If so, you may tell them I can stay with them tonight, and if they care for my services, you may let me know.”

Alfred informed Joe that he was going to see the Brumbaugh family that afternoon, and if Joe would spend the night helping to care for the sick, he would go with him. Accordingly, Tillie and her baby came to spend the night with Susie and her children, while Joe and Alfred went to take care of the sick.

Joe had had no opportunity to meet Preacher Brumbaugh since the time of the church trial, when he was pronounced a heretic and unworthy of their fellowship, other than a chance meeting where he bade him good day and passed on. And now as he entered the Brumbaugh home and saw his former pastor lying on his bed, unable even to raise his hand, the past was all forgotten and his heart went out to him, for he saw a man in need of help. The disease had so fastened itself upon the man that he could not be touched, and must be moved in a sheet. His swollen and inflamed joints told of his suffering, for he could not be moved without excessive pain. He lay groaning upon the bed as the two men entered, and only bade them good day. Joe did all that he could to relieve him, and the family retired for the night, thankful for the much-needed rest.

The two men did all they could for the suffering one, but there was no rest for him. The midnight hour had passed, and still he lay groaning upon his bed. At last Joe thought of the experience in his own home just a few days before and of the help that came to Tillie and, much to the surprise of Alfred, he sat down beside the bedside of Preacher Brumbaugh and began to relate his experience. Alfred became bold also and spoke of the experience of his wife, telling why she had asked Joe to pray for her. Here Joe said, “And I believe just what I told her, for I believe that God can do just anything.”

Preacher Brumbaugh remained quiet for some time and then, opening his eyes, he looked straight at Joe and said very faintly, “Yes, I am sure that God can do anything.”

“Do you really believe that?” hastily inquired Joe.

“I do believe that,” replied Preacher Brumbaugh, as his face contorted with pain and he began groaning again.

Joe sat quietly for some time and then said to Alfred, “Do you feel that you can pray for a man who says he believes that God can just do anything?”

“Yes, I can pray for him,” answered Alfred. “That is, if he desires us to, but I do not want to impose myself upon him.”

“Oh, yes, I am just willing for anything if I might obtain relief,” groaned the suffering man.

At this Joe and Alfred knelt beside the bed, and as earnestly as they knew how they asked God to give the needed help. God heard their petitions, for in a short time Preacher Brumbaugh was in a sound sleep from which he did not awaken until Joe and Alfred were taking their departure that morning. He found, too, on awakening, that he could be moved without much pain, and he began to amend from that hour.

Two happy men entered the Holmier kitchen that morning, just as Susie was placing breakfast on the table, and before they sat down to eat, the story of the night’s happenings was related. After breakfast they assembled in the living room and, kneeling together, Alfred led them in prayer, and then Joe opened the Bible to read the twelfth chapter of Romans. The blessings of God poured down into his soul as he read the twentieth verse: “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”* (Romans 12:20-21) Joe had not fully understood the happenings of the night until he read that chapter, but now he saw that he had taken the Bible route to deal with an enemy, and felt assured that God would take care of results. How good he felt all day! He went about his work whistling and singing. He had found the joy that comes when one overcomes evil with good.

The following Sunday Alfred informed those present at the community house that there would be no services held there that evening, as he had been unable to get anyone, and he was going to Newton to attend a service conducted by Preacher Jennings, a man who had just returned from a visit into Palestine and the Orient. As the air was quite cool, the women decided to keep the children at home; so, accordingly, Tillie again came over to spend the evening with Susie while the men went to Newton to hear Preacher Jennings speak of his visit in the Eastern countries. After the lecture Preacher Jennings made known that he was selling a book that contained his experiences while traveling abroad, and as Joe had enjoyed his lecture of the evening, he bought the book that he might learn more of the manners and customs of the Eastern countries.

The next day, as Joe came in from his work at the noon hour, he noticed that Susie wore an unusual expression on her face, and as he began to fill the basin with water with which to wash himself he was shocked to hear Susie say, “Joe, I want you to take me to town this week and get me a new hat.”

Joe stood as if dumbfounded, for this was the first time in all their married life that she had mentioned such a thing. She had never worn a hat in all her life, and now he could not understand why she would ask such a thing of him. He gazed at her with a puzzled expression, and then asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean just what I said,” replied Susie. “I want you to take me to town this week and get me a new hat.”

“What have you done with your bonnet?” inquired Joe.

“I have put it in a place where I shall never wear it again,” replied Susie, “for my bonnet and little white cap have both gone up in smoke. I put them in the fire this morning.”

“Put them in the fire?” exclaimed Joe. “Why, Susie, what do you mean?”

“Come with me, and I shall show you what I mean,” replied Susie, as she led him into the other room, where he saw the new book lying beside the Bible. Both were opened as Susie had left them when she went to prepare the noonday meal. “I want you to read that,” said she, pointing to an article in the book. He began reading:

“If some of the good sisters in America could only make a visit into some of the Eastern countries they could well understand what Paul meant when he addressed the Corinthian church as he did in 1 Corinthians 11. Well do I remember when a boy seeing an old aunt of mine wearing her little cap. She called it a covering for her head. But when I became acquainted with some of the customs of the Eastern countries I found that she did not have her head covered at all, and fully understood what Paul meant by saying she dishonored her head by praying or prophesying with an uncovered head. The third verse of this chapter tells what the head of the woman is: ‘But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.’* (1 Corinthians 11:3) I find this is truly carried out in the Orient, for the man is truly the head of the woman. He thinks for her, he talks for her, and what he says she does. Many customs are the same today as they were in Bible times. Among the Mohammedan people the women are wearing the veil as a covering for the head. The entire head is covered and it is considered a disgrace to the husband (which is her head) for her to appear in public without her veil. No other man is to look on her face. As I looked upon these women, I thought how far the little cap that my aunt wore fell short of being a covering for the head, and it would not be accepted as such among these women, for it would not cover her face, and no man is to look upon her face but her husband. How good it was for Paul to go further and in the thirteenth verse tell them to ‘Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?’* (1 Corinthians 11:13)

“I have never been contentious over the head covering worn by the sisters in America, but I am sure that if the women of the East should try to bind their head covering on the women of America, there would be some contention about the matter, for the women would not have such custom. Among the churches of God, now, a woman does not dishonor her head (her husband) by not wearing the head covering of the women of ancient Bible times, although she did, judged by social usages in vogue in Paul’s day.”

[The fifteenth verse brings out the thought that a woman’s long hair is her covering. She does not need a veil. Verse sixteen makes us know that a person need not be contentious in binding the wearing of a veil on others, as there is no such custom in the “churches of God.” —Editor’s note.]

“Isn’t that plain?” inquired Susie. “I am so glad you bought that book, for everything now is just as clear as can be to me. I have always looked upon that scripture as dishonoring myself by not having my head covered, but you can plainly see that Paul meant by uncovering the head it was a dishonor to the husband, judged by social usages then. Joe, do you think that I would be dishonoring you If I did not wear that little bonnet and cap?”

“Well, no, Susie, I do not think that you would dishonor me in any way, but you see that you must be careful or you will let pride creep in and you will be just like the world,” replied Joe.

“I have thought all that over, too,” said Susie, “and as I began to examine myself, I thought that I had far more pride in wearing that bonnet than the majority of women that I know manifest in wearing hats, for as I came among them I had a feeling that I was a little better than they were, because I was wearing a bonnet while they had hats. Joe, I was really proud in my heart that I was wearing that bonnet.”

“But, you must remember, Susie, that the Bible says God’s children are a peculiar people. Don’t you remember having read that?” inquired Joe.

“Yes, I read it just this morning,” replied Susie, “and received light on it also. Here is in the second chapter of Titus and the fourteenth verse. ‘Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’* (Titus 2:14) Don’t you see, Joe, that it is not in peculiarity of dress that we are known, but a peculiar people because of the work that we do. It is not natural for a man to do as you did the other night, go and sit up with an enemy and pray for him, return good for evil. Do you not think there is some peculiarity about such work as that? It is not like the majority of people would do, nor like you would have done a few years ago, for I am sure that you could not have gone to him and prayed for him.”

“No, I could not have done that,” replied Joe reluctantly.

“Well, do you not see then that there must be some peculiarity about you when you are desirous and zealous of good works?” inquired Susie. “You know that you were only too glad to go to Brother Brumbaugh’s that you might do him some good. In this the works of God’s children differ from anyone else and make them peculiar, for sinners want to do good for good, and Christians want to do good for evil, making them peculiar and zealous of good works. Isn’t that plain?”

“I declare, Susie,” said Joe laughingly, “you have become quite a preacher and your arguments satisfy me, although I must say they do not thoroughly convince me. I should like to know where you have learned all this.”

“I have done just as you have told me to do,” replied Susie. “I have taken the Bible as the man of my counsel and am satisfied with it.”

“If that be the case,” replied Joe, “we shall go to town this afternoon, and you shall have a new hat.”

The trip was made and the following Sunday morning many were surprised to see Susie wearing a new hat, the first one she had ever owned. Many surprised glances were sent in her direction and many remarks exchanged, but Susie was satisfied in her soul and rejoicing that she could walk in the light as it was revealed unto her.