October 23 - 28, 2003 (from The Diary of a Padayatri) 

We crossed the Francis Marion National Forest, and gradually the congestion began. Monk's Corner and Summerville (a suburb of Charleston) were the biggest cities we would go through. As we traveled on Route 17A en route to Walterboro, literally thousands of people saw the Padayatra, and as always, even on a busy road, some came forward.

Too much traffic makes Candrabhaga nervous and more dependent on the Lord's guidance. The intensity of her prayers of surrender to the will of Krsna is ever increasing.

"You must be crazy!" shouted a man passing by in his car. We thought he was the crazy one. Why? Because he lives a life that generates a society running on four wheels 100 miles a day just for the "basic necessities of life," not caring for the actual needs of the self.

"Just as a deer, because of ignorance, cannot see the water within a well covered by grass, but runs after water elsewhere, the living entity covered by the material body does not see the happiness within himself, but runs after happiness in the material world." —Srimad Bhagavatam 7.13.29

We arrived in Walterboro on Sunday— another perfect arrangement— at 6:30. As the light was going down, we found a good place to stop (in town still) at junction 17A/63, a few miles from Interstate 95. Somebody had called the police, speaking of "wild runaway horses in the road," so three police cars came up on us very quick after dark. At once they realized that nothing was happening. Our boys Kana das and Balaji das were peacefully eating hay around the wagon.

The policemen were very friendly and asked about our journey. One officer came back later that evening to bring some fresh organic tomatoes to offer to the Lord.

Monday, we gradually moved out of the congestion. It was raining. We were moving towards Yemassy. Suddenly, when it was time to stop, a gentleman arrived, very gracious and friendly, offering to help. He was the pastor of a local church and was very fascinated with our mission and style of surrender to God. He wanted to help, so he ran to his car to see what he could bring for the horses.

Suddenly a truck piled up with hay came by on Highway 17, turning right where we were. Our pastor immediately walked towards the truck and stopped them to explain that he was trying to get some hay for us. At that point he raised his hands in the middle of the highway. "God is good!" he exclaimed. It was a mystical arrangement by Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar and Lord Narasimhadeva, and Mr. Bailey was part of it.

After that, we had a deep philosophical and theological discussion. To my surprise, he told me that he agrees that one who follows Jesus is one who has love in his heart. Therefore he disagrees with many other clergy about the presentation that only by being a Christian will you be saved. 

His understanding is deep: It is not only by the name but also by the characteristics and qualities of Jesus, by love. He was sensitive to hearing about the goal of life without making distinctions of faith because it reaffirmed his own convictions. 

"Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!" I thought. "Here is a Christian that can use Prabhupada's mercy and guidance." So we gave him our last big Bhagavad Gita. He was very thankful and said he would put it at his bedside (where Christians put the Bible to read at night). By Prabhupada's mercy, all those truths will be clearly revealed to him through every page.

© dipika.org December 19, 2003