Sunday, October 27, 2013

The Remarkable Message Of The Cross Book

By Elena McDowell


The Cross book is an encouragement to all those committed to their own walk of faith. It will also be enjoyed by others regardless of their religious views as an inspirational story of an ordinary man achieving the extraordinary. Arthur Blessitt carries a life-sized wooden cross through 315 nations and island groups in seven continents. He embarks on this epic journey in response to a call he receives from God while ministering on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

His journey began in 1969 in America and ended in Zanzibar in 2008. When he is asked how he accomplished this incredible journey, he answers that he did it one step at a time. The first chapter of his book is all about breaking down what appears impossible into small steps and taking the first step. His efforts were recorded in the Guinness Book of Records in 1996.

He wandered deserts, climbed mountains and traversed jungles but this account is more than a travelogue. He chooses to assemble his experiences by theme rather than using chronological order. It is only his belief in his mission that enables him to overcome obstacles like death threats, beatings and attacks by wild animals.

Blessitt talks about hearing God from a young age. In responding to this call of God, he found that carrying this universal symbol of the love of God broke down any barriers of culture and language. He talked to many people individually and preached to huge crowds on occasion. His mission was never about exploits but about the people he met.

His journey exposed him to some fascinating periods in history. He walked through South Africa in 1986 with his son Joshua during the final years of apartheid. He walked across the desert sands to Saudi Arabia when it was closed to tourists. He was also one of the first people to travel into East Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was literally the first person across on that historic occasion of Israel and Egypt opening their borders.

On his journey he met with many important people, from presidents and kings to religious leaders. He walked through mine fields and armies fighting into West Beirut where he prayed with Yasser Arafat. He was a guest of the Pope at the Vatican.

He never allowed challenging circumstances to divert him from his mission. In Ireland, IRA gunmen threatened to kill him if he continued to walk through Belfast. He was jailed a number of times, one of them under the fascist regime of Franco. When he was in Nicaragua he was dragged before a firing squad in the middle of the night. In Uzbekistan, the KGB arrested him and interrogated him for hours.

The Cross book contains many photographs illustrating his journey. The handwriting font used at times contributes to the feeling of reading a journal. If you enjoy reading about ordinary men accomplishing extraordinary feats, this story will appeal to you. This inspiring narrative is an encouragement to those who are on their own journey of faith.




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