Young Goodman Brown a journey into sin
If the story of Job is about one of God’s followers being tested, and his faith is stronger in the end; then Young Goodman Brown is the story of God’s follower who almost loses his faith.
Goodman Brown is an example of so many people that I still see today in the church, and it’s of somebody who while is a good and righteous person their faith is mostly in man and not in God. We never understand fully what brings Goodman Brown to the forest on this night, but we all know that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The main thing that seems to be driving Goodman Brown is his family, who at the moment only consists of him, and his wife faith. So one could say that his honorable journey …show more content…
First let’s start with the traveler, and how he impacts this story. I’ve read a few things that suggest that maybe he’s the devil or the ghost of Goodman Brown’s dad. One theory that I like the best is that he could be that inner dark side of Goodman Brown the one that always sees the bad in people or his flesh side. As a Christian part of our walk is battling with the old man who has died when we became a new creature in Christ, but he can not always stay dead. The first example of the traveler being Goodman Brown’s dark side is after seeing miss Goody Cloyse in the forest, Goodman Brown is taken back because he was like she taught me my catechism, and part of his world is destroyed when he realizes that she is not as pure and righteous as he might have thought. This then allows the traveler or your old self to rise back up to the surface just a little more, now that part of his faith is shattered.
Soon after this Goodman Brown comes upon a meeting in the woods where he sees many familiar faces from his community. The way this scene plays out reminds me of a quote from the Ted Dekker book Immanuels Veins(highly recommend this book)
“There is indeed good and there is indeed evil, and both walk the earth. But good has little to do with the forms of religion, and evil has as little to do with so much behavior condemned by religion. Both good and evil vie for the passions of the heart. For
If the story of Job is about one of God’s followers being tested, and his faith is stronger in the end; then Young Goodman Brown is the story of God’s follower who almost loses his faith.
Goodman Brown is an example of so many people that I still see today in the church, and it’s of somebody who while is a good and righteous person their faith is mostly in man and not in God. We never understand fully what brings Goodman Brown to the forest on this night, but we all know that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The main thing that seems to be driving Goodman Brown is his family, who at the moment only consists of him, and his wife faith. So one could say that his honorable journey …show more content…
First let’s start with the traveler, and how he impacts this story. I’ve read a few things that suggest that maybe he’s the devil or the ghost of Goodman Brown’s dad. One theory that I like the best is that he could be that inner dark side of Goodman Brown the one that always sees the bad in people or his flesh side. As a Christian part of our walk is battling with the old man who has died when we became a new creature in Christ, but he can not always stay dead. The first example of the traveler being Goodman Brown’s dark side is after seeing miss Goody Cloyse in the forest, Goodman Brown is taken back because he was like she taught me my catechism, and part of his world is destroyed when he realizes that she is not as pure and righteous as he might have thought. This then allows the traveler or your old self to rise back up to the surface just a little more, now that part of his faith is shattered.
Soon after this Goodman Brown comes upon a meeting in the woods where he sees many familiar faces from his community. The way this scene plays out reminds me of a quote from the Ted Dekker book Immanuels Veins(highly recommend this book)
“There is indeed good and there is indeed evil, and both walk the earth. But good has little to do with the forms of religion, and evil has as little to do with so much behavior condemned by religion. Both good and evil vie for the passions of the heart. For