A Pledge Put to the Test

In Charles Sheldon’s novel *In His Steps*, Reverend Henry Maxwell challenges people in his church to ask, “What would Jesus do?” before making decisions. Those who accept the challenge pledge to consider that question for a year. It sounds simple, but the pledge asks them to change how they live—not just what they say they believe. The choices in the novel affect work, ambition, money, and the wider community. Newspaper editor Edward Norman must consider how his paper’s decisions reflect his beliefs. Singer Rachel Winslow faces a choice about pursuing an opera career. Virginia Page considers how to use her inheritance to help people in need. Their decisions are different because they have different responsibilities and hopes. The characters do not find every answer easy. A choice that seems generous to one person might bring a sacrifice, a risk, or disagreement with others. The novel also draws attention to people living in poverty in a neighborhood called the Rectangle. Their circumstances make the characters ask whether faith should influence only private behavior or also the way people respond to problems around them. The pledge does not hand the characters a list of answers. Instead, it gives them a question to carry into everyday life. As they try to answer it, they must weigh their own desires against what they believe is right—and live with the consequences.

Read for Meaning