Joyful And Jubilant Screaming

In The Charisma, B.C., Canada
Aug. ‘73

Bill's church was, as best I could tell, an off brand of the
Episcopal Church, better known as the Holy Rollers. The tent was large
and only half full when we arrived. Even so, Bill told me there were
close to 300 hundred people there. No question about that; there were
lots of people standing behind the chairs (for those who needed them)
listening to the guy at the podium as he delivered his sermon. The
gist of which, was that everybody was part divine, at least as an
extension of Christ's body anyway. Because you were part divine, you
had a direct channel to God. Your prayers went straight to God and it
was not unusual for God to give you a sign that your prayer(s) were
received. Sometimes that sign came in the form of a voice speaking
directly to you. If the "voice" came as a command you were expected to
obey. Bill assured me that that didn't happen very often. According to
Bill, the sign usually came in the form "a feeling of God's presence,"
and people were quite literally moved by that feeling.

Based on what I saw at the revival meeting, the people in Bill's
church tried to order their lives around "God the proprietor." They
tried to lead "God directed lives." Whatever was perceived to be God's
purpose or will that was the course of action embarked upon.
That had to be difficult. The people attending the revival meeting
received a lot of support, though. All around me I could feel the
charisma. There was singing with hands held high as people swayed
back and forth. Some fell to the ground repenting their sins while
others screamed with joy and jubilation. Still others unabashedly
cried and sobbed. I didn't know if they were happy or sad. Trying not
to sound disrespectful, either these people really had something going
with their religion, or I had my first experience with mass hysteria.

After a good nights sleep, Bill gave me a ride to the Trans Canada, Canada's
only coast-to-coast highway. Before I got dropped off, he asked me if I had
any good reading material. I told him, "no." He handed me a Bible
and said, "A must read. No traveler should be without it." I thanked
him, put the Bible in my pack and waved good-bye as he drove away.
Maybe it was the Bible, or maybe it was just plain luck, but I got a
ride right away. In fact, I continued to get good rides, which was a
little bit strange because the Trans Canada was full of hitchhikers.