DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PILGRIM'S PROGRESS -- BY-ENDS

PILGRIM'S PROGRESS – BY-ENDS FROM FAIR-SPEECH

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27)

"So I saw in my dream that soon after they had left the fair, they overtook a man walking ahead of them whose name was By-ends. So they said to him, 'What country are you from, sir, and how far are you going on this way?' He told them that he came from the town of Fair-speech and that he was going to the CelestiaL City but he did not tell them his name."

The town of Fair-speech was inhabited by rich and famous people. Among the residents were Lord Turn-about, Lord Time-server, and Lord Fair-speech, Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-both-ways, Mr. Anything, and Lady Feigning. The pastor of the local church was Mr. Two-tongues. Here Bunyan was identifying people who put on a good show, but their speech is deceitful. They do what looks and sounds good, but they are belied by the way they change to fit the circumstance. They see whatever is convenient for the moment, but will change when it is in their best interest to present a different picture. They are chameleons, changing their words and actions to match their surroundings. We would call them hypocrites. They go with whatever way the wind is blowing They will do anything that makes them look good, but their hearts are not pure. Even their preacher spoke out of both sides of his mouth, trying to please his congregation. By-ends would do whatever was necessary at the moment to be accepted – to fit into the crowd.

Jesus pronounces had harsh words for these kind of people. He said they look good on the outside, but inside they are rotten. No matter how beautiful the headstones in a cemetery, it is still a place of dead people.

The church is filled with many good-looking people, dressed in their fine clothes on Sunday, and who talk a good talk when they are among other Christians. But Monday and the rest of the week tells the true story. May my life and my words be in sync and harmonize with each other.

Love, Dad