Response to Salvation by Langston Hughes

Since the beginning of time, many words in the English language have been controversial. Although in the English dictionary, "saved" is defined as many different, meanings such as to rescue or deliver from danger or harm. To relate to this story, "saved" is defined as "to deliver from sin." This young boy, Langston, in "Salvation," by Langston Hughes, could not experience the true meaning of being saved. I, on the other hand, can.

Langston's aunt had a huge effect on his faith being so-called safe. She was so excited for the special meeting " 'to bring the young lambs to the fold,' " (Hughes 8) in which the young sinners come and wait to see Jesus. At that special meeting Langston is escorted to the bench made especially for young sinners, which is called the mourners' bench. His aunt says, " 'You see a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on' " (Hughes 8). So this young sinner believed her and continues to wait to see Jesus. When the others are saved, they stand up right away and sob and jump up. All that is left are two "young lambs," Westly and Langston. The song that goes, " 'The ninety and nine safe in the fold, but one little lamb was left out in the cold' " (Hughes 9). Westly didn't see Jesus, but just stands up and joins the others. Langston is just sitting there, devastated. He sees his aunt sobbing and he hears, " 'Why don't you come? My dear child, Why don't you come? Sister Reed, what is this child's name?' " (Hughes 8) Langston said, "To save further trouble, I'd better lie, too, and say that Jesus had come and get up and be saved" (Hughes 10). Langston ends up crying because he is ashamed of what he did. He realized that he let down his church, Jesus, and even his aunt.

My faith was saved back in ninth grade. It was a pretty amazing time. It was not like Langston's experience. We didn't have to sit at a mourners' bench and wait to see Jesus. This night happened to be Mosaic night.