TRUTH . . . IS INTUITIVE

The Iron Curtain had done it's best to shut out western enthusiasts, but we were young and adventurous. Before long we had discovered underground Christians in several countries and were making clandestine visits with money and literature, in addition to speaking at their secret rendezvous.

One night, literally under the ground in a basement in Prague, I had been speaking to a group of young people. They were stirred by my message and I could see a new resolve to be bold. Once I had finished the pastor rose purposefully to his feet and spoke very seriously. My interpreter told me he was warning everyone to ignore what I had said as their obvious excitement could lead to imprisonment. It was alright for me, he said, I would soon be returning to safety in England. That hadn't occurred to me, but I can understand now his concern for those headstrong young people.

The next day I was walking the streets of Prague depressed that my efforts had been so frustrated, concerned that the pastor had put out the spiritual fire I had ignited. But what could I do? I had such a language limitation.

An imposing building caught my eye and I had a strange desire to go inside. After a moment's hesitation I crossed the road, climbed the steps and pushed open the door. To my surprise I was confronted with a whole library full of books I could not understand. Wandering around and wondering why I had followed my intuition, I caught sight of a notice which read English Section and then a sub-heading Religion. Tucked away in a corner there were a few books under the further heading of Mystics.

I reached up and took down one of the books. Opening at the frontispiece I saw a few words written in large print:

Some hounds run because they have seen the hare,
Some hounds run because the other hounds are running.

In an instant I was at peace, returned the book, and strode away. There was nothing to worry about. If those young people had caught sight of the One I was enthusing over, they would be OK. They would last the course. Nothing would deter them from following my Man of Galilee - and probably with a little more wisdom too after the exhortation from their elder statesman.

I was so glad I had responded to that inner impulse, that gentle intuitive pull that had drawn me into a foreign library. I had discovered further truth in a profound couplet I would never forget and one that in future years would affect the lives of many more young people as I told the story again and again.

© Maurice Smith 2004

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