Salvation by Langston Hughes

Salvation basically talks about Langston Hughes, this thirteen-year-old boy going through a religious experience and how he turns out disappointed since nothing goes as he expects. His aunt is basically prepping him for this religious experience, where she tells him how he will feel the presence of Jesus, how it will feel, and the connection he will have and that it will be unique. When the day comes, he feels nothing but nervousness and awaits patiently. As the pastor finishes up the sermon, he calls out all the kids that are in the front row so that they can experience this unique moment. He asks them, who is ready to come to Jesus, and some kids start to cry while others are already decided and quickly stand up. Is getting late and they are only two kids left to come to Jesus, Langston and Westley. The whole congregation was praying and crying for these two kids. Westley, tired of all this, simply gave up and stood up, while Langston waited for that encounter with Jesus.

It was very late but he still waited, and his aunt even came to him praying and crying on his knees. The pastor even wanted to help and Langston gave in even though he didn't experience anything. That night, he found himself crying and his uncle heard him, but he couldn't get around the thought of how to tell his aunt that he didn't have the experience that he expected, that he lied to the whole congregation and that he now questions Jesus existence. I believe that this happens to most young people who are imposed on religion since childhood. The main reason why it does not become a conflict at a younger age is the innocence of the children and that they are not yet part of the practices that involve meeting Jesus.

Something that I have always criticized and come up with in this story is the fanaticism that a religious movement can provoke. You can see how all the people pray and cry, while the children are in front of all that public. It may be that some children, truly, feel that encounter with Jesus but also that pressure of the whole church seeing you, praying and crying for you, can cause some pressure on the children and do what Westley and Langston did.

I think that religion should not be used in this way, to use such a special subject to convert people into fanatics and simply do or say something that a person religiously superior says, without being able to see or feel what is really happening. Using the theme of faith to attract more people to a congregation and using them in the most convenient way, like for tithing. That is not being a good religious, it is being a good fanatic. The true religion or the true faith lives individually within each human being, is something sincere, and not something that can be manipulated.