Why I love "The Pilgrim's Progress"

For those poor souls who do not know about this wonderful book, “The Pilgrim's Progress”- an allegory by the widely known English author & preacher, John Bunyan, is the most widely read book besides the Bible for about 200 years. It tells the iconic story of a man named Christian who goes on a quest to reach the Celestial City, an allegorical rendering of heaven in Bunyan’s work. Here is my favorite quote from the book: What God says is best, is best, though all the men in the world are against it. This is extremely true and applicable, and there’s lots more where that came from, though I don't have time to go through all of my favorite quotes today.

 The characters in this work are iconic figures in historic Christendom. Let’s take a look at some of them. Christian, the main character and a representation of humankind, Faithful, Christian’s companion for half the book, who is murdered by the men of vanity fair, and last but not least, Christiana, Christian’s wife, who has a whole sequel dedicated to her own journey to the Celestial City. 

The book has won the hearts of many well-known people, including C.S. Lewis, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Spurgeon.

The book has also spawned many copies, such as, “Hind’s Feet in High Places” by Hannah Hurnard, and “The Pilgrim's Regress” by C.S. Lewis. (I have read both, and neither compared to the original).

But none of those reasons are personal to me. On a more personal note, I have spent many nights learning and being entertained by this fine book. I have read it at least 4 times and it never gets old. I first read it when I was on vacation. It was raining, and we were stuck inside our cabin. I had brought it to read while I was up there, and, having nothing else to do, I picked it up and began to read. I then proceeded to read the entire book in 3 days. I was just so captivated by John Bunyan's incredible writing style, and his uncanny ability to entertain, but also to point people to Christ, the ultimate center of his book. I'm sure that you can relate to some of his allegoric characters, including Worldly Wiseman, Pliable, and Faithful. But I get the most satisfaction out of thinking that I am just one of the countless other Christians who have read and will read this wonderful book.

So, in conclusion, read the Bible, read Pilgrim's Progress– in that order. Pack your bags, and let's head for the Celestial City.