But then came the voice of the preacher: “ Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. ”
She found herself all at once intently listening. She had been to church many times before, but under the sermons and ceremonies she had always sat coldly inert. In the South the cries, contortions, and religious frenzy left her mind untouched; she did not laugh or mock, she simply sat and watched and wondered. At the North, in the white churches, she enjoyed the beauty of wall, windows, and hymn, liked the voice and surplice of the preacher; but his words had no reference to anything in which she was interested. Here suddenly came an earnest voice addressed, by singular chance, to her of all the world.
She listened, bending forward, her eyes glued to the speaker’s lips and letting no word drop. He had the build and look of the fanatic: thin to emancipation; brown; brilliant-eyed; his words snapped in nervous energy and rang in awful earnestness.
‚ÄúLife is sin, and sin is sorrow. Sorrow is born of selfishness and self-seeking‚ÅÝ‚Äîour own good, our own happiness, our own glory. As if any one of us were worth a life! No, never. A single self as an end is, and ought to be, disappointment; it is too low; it is nothing. Only in a whole world of selves, infinite, endless, eternal world on worlds of selves‚ÅÝ‚Äîonly in their vast good is true salvation. The good of others is our true good; work for others; not for your salvation, but the salvation of the world.‚Äù The audience gave a low uneasy groan and the minister in whose pulpit the stranger preached stirred uneasily. But he went on tensely, with flying words:
‚ÄúUnselfishness is sacrifice‚ÅÝ‚ÄîJesus was supreme sacrifice.‚Äù (‚ÄúAmen,‚Äù screamed a voice.) ‚ÄúIn your dark lives,‚Äù he cried, ‚Äú who is the King of Glory? Sacrifice. Lift up your heads, then, ye gates of prejudice and hate, and let the King of Glory come in. Forget