The Pilgrim’s Progress, Part II: XI — Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
In our last chapter, Christiana and her company passed through the Valley of Humiliation. It was a place where they learned that the downward road is not necessarily a road of defeat. Humility had taught them to depend upon the King, upon their guide, and upon one another.
But the journey was not finished.
Christiana, her four sons, Mercy, Mr. Great-heart, and their companions now approached a much more frightening portion of the King's highway—the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
This was territory that Christian had traveled before.
But Christiana's journey would not simply repeat her husband's.
Into the Valley
As the pilgrims left the Valley of Humiliation, the country became darker and more threatening.
Christiana knew something of what lay ahead because she had heard the story of her husband's journey. Christian had passed through this valley alone, largely in darkness, surrounded by terrifying sounds and dangers that he could scarcely see.
Now Christiana was entering the same country.
But she was not alone.
Mr. Great-heart was with her.
Her sons were with her.
Mercy was with her.
And others had joined the company along the road.
This is one of the great differences between the two parts of Bunyan's story.
Christian's pilgrimage often emphasizes the experience of the individual believer.
Christiana's pilgrimage reminds us of the strength and blessing that come when pilgrims walk together.
A fearful road
As they entered the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the pilgrims heard terrible sounds.
There were groanings, cries, and strange noises coming from the darkness. The ground itself seemed uncertain beneath their feet. They sensed dangers around them without always being able to see where those dangers were.
The children were frightened.
Christiana was frightened.
Fear is not absent from this pilgrimage simply because Christiana has a faithful guide.
But Mr. Great-heart tells them to take courage.
He has traveled this road before.
And, more importantly, he knows the One who has authority over the darkness.
That is an important lesson.
Faith does not mean that we never become afraid.
Faith means that fear does not have the final word.
Christiana remembers Christian
As the company moves deeper into the valley, Christiana thinks about what her husband endured.
Christian had walked this road alone.
He had known the darkness.
He had heard the terrifying voices.
He had felt the snares beneath his feet.
Now Christiana begins to understand something that she had previously known only by hearing about it.
There are some experiences in life that cannot be fully understood until we walk through them ourselves.
The suffering of another person may be real to us, but when we enter our own valley, we discover dimensions of fear, dependence, and faith that we had never known before.
Christiana does not despise Christian's earlier struggle.
She remembers it.
She learns from it.
But she is still called to walk her own portion of the King's road.
A family walking through darkness
There is something especially moving about Christiana's pilgrimage at this point.
She is not walking merely for herself.
She is a mother walking with her children.
Matthew, Samuel, Joseph, and James are not spectators. They are pilgrims.
They have grown along the way.
They have been instructed.
They have been tested.
And now they are learning that the Christian journey includes places where the way is frightening even when the destination is certain.
That is an important lesson for families today.
Parents cannot remove every valley from the path of their children.
They cannot prevent every disappointment, fear, temptation, or hardship.
But they can teach their children how to walk through the valley.
They can show them where to look.
They can remind them that darkness does not mean that God has abandoned them.
And sometimes the most powerful lesson a parent can give is simply this:
Keep walking. The King is still with us.
The appearance of Giant Maul
The danger becomes more direct when the pilgrims encounter Giant Maul.
Maul is not merely a frightening figure in the landscape.
He is an enemy of pilgrims who would keep them from reaching the Celestial City.
He confronts the company and especially challenges Mr. Great-heart, who has taken responsibility for guiding and protecting Christiana and the others.
Here again we must be careful not to confuse Part II with Christian's earlier story.
Christian does not fight Giant Maul.
This is Christiana's company.
And the champion who stands between them and this particular enemy is Mr. Great-heart.
Great-heart knows that there are times when protecting the weak requires courage.
He does not send Christiana or her children into battle.
He does not tell them to prove themselves.
He stands before them.
And he fights.
The strength of a faithful guide
The battle with Giant Maul reminds us that Christian leadership is not primarily about authority or recognition.
It is about protection.
Mr. Great-heart has accepted responsibility for this company.
He knows that Christiana has children entrusted to her care.
He knows that some of the pilgrims are weak.
He knows that others are traveling with physical limitations.
And he does not regard their weakness as an inconvenience.
He serves them.
This is a beautiful picture of what Christian leadership should look like.
The strong are not given strength so that they may boast about being strong.
They are strengthened so that they may help those who are struggling.
Great-heart's courage becomes a blessing to Christiana and her family.
The valley does not last forever
Eventually the danger passes.
The pilgrims survive the darkness.
They continue along the road.
The valley has not destroyed them.
It has tested them.
And there is a difference.
Sometimes we enter a difficult season believing that the valley is the whole story.
It is not.
The valley is a portion of the journey.
The road continues.
The Celestial City is still ahead.
The King has not lost sight of His pilgrims.
A word for us
There are times when every Christian enters a valley.
Sometimes it is a valley of fear.
Sometimes it is grief.
Sometimes it is uncertainty.
Sometimes it is simply the exhausting responsibility of caring for others while trying to remain faithful ourselves.
Christiana's story gives us something that Christian's earlier journey could not give us in quite the same way.
It shows us pilgrims walking together.
A mother with her children.
Friends helping one another.
A guide standing watch.
The strong protecting the weak.
And everyone moving in the same direction.
We may not know exactly what lies around the next bend.
But we do know the destination.
And we know the King.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death is dark.
But darkness cannot erase the road.
And the road leads home.
Closing Thought
Christiana did not choose an easier road than Christian.
She was simply given a different pilgrimage.
Her trials were different.
Her companions were different.
Her responsibilities were different.
But the King was the same.
And that may be one of Bunyan's most encouraging lessons.
God does not promise every pilgrim the same journey. He promises to lead His people home.
Christiana and her family continue onward.
The valley is behind them.
The road ahead remains difficult.
But they are learning that they do not have to walk it alone.
Next time: Christiana and her companions meet Old Honest and continue toward Gaius's house, where the journey becomes a picture of Christian fellowship, hospitality, and the many different kinds of pilgrims who travel the King's highway.
Lead me, Lord. Lead me in Thy righteousness; make Thy way plain before my face.— Psalm 5:8
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.”— Psalm 23:4
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There are so many hills to climb upward,
I often am longing for rest;
But He who appoints me my pathway,
Knows just what is needful and best.
I know in His Word He hath promised
That my strength it shall be as my day; [Refrain]
Then the toils of the road will seem nothing
When I get to the end of the way.
3. He loves me too well to forsake me,
Or give me a trial too much;
His people have been dearly purchased,
And Satan can never claim such.
By and by I shall see Him and praise Him,
In the city of unending day; [Refrain]
4. When the last feeble steps have been taken,
And the gates of that city appear,
And the beautiful songs of the angels
Float out on my listening ear;
When all that now seems so mysterious,
Will be bright and as clear as the day,
And the toils of the road will seem nothing
When I get to the end of the way,
Adapter: Albert M. Bean; Author: Charlie D. Tillman (1895)
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