Greenbelt cooperator., 1939-12-07
:;:'::::: !: ::
M by
W&HIA 7n.4gM Robert Lee Kincheloe
W lHAH HRHHEMN Minister to the
sAk6I1TM@SSTz]|IEe1 creenbelt Commlni ty Church

There those who inclined to refer to
"re Grapes of Wrathn Tom described his "Grapa",
"heller," who think Of the book only in terms
the therein. others in its pages an eco
nomic, social, religious elan vital expressed in
the vibrant lives of certain Of the main characters.
The following excerpt from this famous bool is
used here to illustrate the impact of Christ
upon type of mankind. Scene: Casey, former
Holiness preacher has just been asked by his friend
Tom to comply wi tn Granna's urgent request for grace
before breakfast.
nCasey his fingers through his hair nervously.
II got to tell you, ain't preacher no more IF me
just bein' glad to be here ant bein' thankful for
people that's kind and generous, if that's enough
Why, I'LL say that linda grace. But ain't
preacher moress
"'say her, said Grama. 'An' get in a word about
goin' to California; The preacher bowed his
head, and the Others bowed their heads...
"'I been thinldni, he said. II been in the hills,
tdndn', almost you ight say like Jesus went into
the wilderness to think His way out Of Of
trouhles.'
n'Pa-raise GaudI' Grama said, and the preacher
glanced over at her in surui Sc.
"'seems like Jesus got all messed up m tn trou-
bles, and He couldn't figure nothin out, He got
to fee1in' what good is it all, ant what's the
fghtin an' figrtn'. Cot tired ,got good tired,
ant His sperit all out. JUS about come to the
conclusion, there's goin' on. AM SO He went
off into tn Wilderness.i
"'A-men,' Grama bleated. So many years she had
timed her responses to the pauses. And it mary
years since she had listened to wondered at the
words used.
NIT amt sayin' I'm like jesus the preacher
went on. 'But gt tired like Him, m' got mixed
Like went into the lderneSS Like Him,
without campin' stuff. Nighttime It'd Lay my
back ant Look up at the stars; morning It'd set ans
watch the sun come up. Sometimes It'd pray Like
always done. Only couldn't figure what I pray
int to or for. There was the hills, am there was
me, ant wasn't separate more. We was one
thing. An' that thing holy
"'Hal1e1ujah,' said Granna, and she rocked lit
tie back and forth, trying to catch hold of
stasy.
"'An' I got hinkin', only it wasn't thinein', it
was deeper down than thinin'. got thinkin' how
was holy when thing, an manlin, was holy
"hen 1t was one thing Ant it only got unholy when
one Unstable little fel1a got the bit in teeth
an run off his own way, kickini AM draggin' ans
II ghtin' Fella like that bust the hol mess. But
when they're all Wordn together, not one fella for
another fella, but one fe11a kind of harnessed to
the whole shebang-that's right, that's holy. Ans
then got tinldn' don't know what mean by
holy He paused, but the bowed heads stayed down.
for they had been trained like dogs to rise at the
'amen' signal. II can't say grace like I use'ta
say. I'm glad of the holiness Of breakfast. Tim
glad there's love here. That's ALL The heads
stayed down. The preacher looked around. tive got
your breakfast cold,' he said; en- he remenber-
ed. 'Amen,' he said, and all the heads up."