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Christians from Both Sides, -ee and -er

© Bernd Wechner

Well, it's that Christmas month again, so it's about time we had a look at the Christians again. The last time we mused over them was Christmas of '97, in a Hitch-hiker's Christmas after all. But this time let's have a look at two very special Christians on the world of hitch-hikers, both of whom published a book of their experiences I had the pleasure of reading this year. He a hitch-hikee, and her a hitch-hiker ... both of them Americans.

They've never met one another I'm sure a world apart in spite of the common faith, so let me introduce to you first the hitch-hikee, Edwin T. Dahlberg. Dahlberg was an 85 year old Baptist minister in the United States in 1978, who after 8 years of picking up hitch-hikers on the road, published his short book I Pick Up Hitchhikers.

One of the most interesting things to note is that he's very defensive about it. People all around him question his sanity, much as they do mine today for doing the same. As early as 1978 this blanket of fear has manifested itself in American culture, when as late as 1976 I have other sources demonstrating just how popular and easy it still was (Jacob Holdt among them). Clearly a time of transition from the happy go lucky 60's to the angst burdened 80's.

Dahlberg starts off on the right track in any case. Inspired by Job who said "I searched out the cause of him whom I do not know." Dahlberg writes:

Nothing is more needed in contemporary society than that we should acquaint ourselves with the causes of people we do not know. We tend to associate ourselves only with the causes of people we do know, our immediate circle of friends and working associates. Consequently we live in too small a world.

Bravo! What an insight. Haven't I been preaching the beauty of strangers for a good decade myself?

But then he goes off the track a little. He confesses up front he won't pick up women as the risk of blackmail and scandal is too great. But on the subject of violent crime he simple shrugs it off figuring "that as a fairly ancient senior citizen it wouldn't make too much difference to the world if [he] did get "bumped off"". Twisted priorities or what? Or does it just go to show how much more some of us value our reputation than we do our very lives! Intriguingly hypocritical all the same given the pages he devotes to justifying his giving of rides to strangers citing Jesus and his motley crew of apostles and saints.

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