Walk in the Light While There is Light by Leo Tolstoy

Walk in the Light While There is Light by Leo Tolstoy is a short story of a man who converted his belief from paganism to Christianity. This short narrative may seem a little common about a man who digresses from righteousness, encounters obstacles, and finally embraces the truth through Jesus Christ, and it is; however, the translation of this story specifically reflects parts of Tolstoy’s life through a character named Julius and spotlights Tolstoy’s fervent and thoughtful faith. Starting with the title, Walk in the Light While There is Light, shows the theme of the whole story. In particular, it means that one should take the opportunity to live under the presence of God, when one is capable of doing so. The term ‘walk’ can be translated as a journey of life, which every human being is currently placed, but what the message is suggesting is that we have to walk in the journey of life with the knowledge of Christ, which is the light. Light is interpreted as God, a chance, and hope. Then what is darkness? On the other hand, darkness exhibits the artificial world that human created. In page 9 Tolstoy says, “…he understood that there was nothing sacred in the Roman religion but it was all the work of human hands…he understood that it would not be advantageous to struggle against the existing order of things, and that for his own tranquility it was better to submit to it.” He shows the powerlessness of the human world and often compares with the world of Christianity in detail as the story goes on. The story is like a mirror of Tolstoy’s life and it’s easy to encounter some of the events in the text. For example, he explains how Juvenal took care of his only son, Julius, after the death of his three children. In Tolstoy’s real life, he actually lost some of his children and loved his children who were still alive with care and education. Again in pg.9, “His father gave his son to this philosopher, together with his comrade Pamphilius, the son of a former slave whom Juvenal had freed.” Tolstoy had an experience of freeing his slaves and they all came back in the end.

As the story goes on, the focus slowly turns to Juvenal’s son, Julius. Julius was a gullible, naïve and uneducated young man in life. These characteristics were shown during the conversation between his friend, Pamphilius, about the lives of Christians. Pamphilius stated in pg. 10, “We do not do anything strange. We live simply, trying to do nothing bad…We manage to live. If we work for our brethren they so the same for us.” Julius questioned how people can live for each other equally when there could be other lethargic people who are reluctant to work and not contribute as much as others. This question is brought up today in the society too, concerning the matter of communism verses Christianity. However, there is a clear difference despite the fact that all people should be equal: Communism is forced. Christianity is voluntary. Christians are willing to share and treat one another equally with love in God’s eyes.

Pamphilius also states how to live a Christian-like life in pg. 11, “In front of us all stands Christ with his life, and we all try to emulate him and see our welfare in that alone.” This is the light that God has given us, a method of how to live a life. Furthermore, he adds on how life is more than self-satisfaction. However, Julius doesn’t understand and continues to complain how it is impossible not to live for oneself. Again, Tolstoy gives another description about the world in pg. 12, “…we are all of us entangled by our relationships with the pagans.” Pamphilius tries his best for Julius to understand the love of Christ and faith in various ways. In pg. 13, “…our brethren are traveling another path and will not weaken but will grow ever stronger, just as a fire will never go out when more wood is laid on it. That is our faith.” In this sentence, Pamphilius used an imagery of a fire to exhibit how Christian’s faith is strong and will not easily disappear but grow even stronger as we work hard to be closer to God with prayers. The ‘wood’ represents the actions we do for the glory of God that makes our fire, faith, more solid and indestructible. This is also a great analogy that compares the endurance of faith as a flaming fire and woods that would help to make it bigger. Lastly, Pamphilius doesn’t forget to bring up how Jesus died for our sins because he loved us so much through a parable, just as Jesus used to deliver his message to his people. He insisted that man shouldn’t live for self satisfaction and have to live a life in conformity with the will of God.

Julius did listen and promised that he would visit the Christians, but never did. This showed that he was irresponsible, selfish, had no integrity, and had no respect towards his friend. Julius lived a life of luxury and squandered his time and money for wine, gambling and loose women. Once more, this emulated some of the pasts of Tolstoy’s life when he was into his own enjoyment. Julius never thought he was the problem and blamed his own father for not giving him more money. Juvenal tried to do the right thing to fix his spoiled son’s attitude, but Julius was getting worse and threatened him that he would kill himself. His mother begged Juvenal to do whatever to boy asked. After the incessant chaos and discrepancies between his father, he finally listened to his conscience and realized “All was darkness and confusion in his soul.”

The leitmotif of the story, again, appears as darkness that covered Julius’ view from the light. The darkness led Julius to see the beauty in the eyes of human; among women, he chooses the prettiest and wealthiest woman as his wife. However, this is only a transitory satisfaction Every time he attempted to approach the Christians, Satan in many disguises would pull him back down to the life of discretion and this was exactly like Tolstoy’s life. It is an obstacle that everyone has to be prudent because it is presented in a way that we are most comfortable and familiar. Both of Julius and Tolstoy fell and stood up continuously, but in the end finally they have reached God. It may seem a little too late to some people, but it’s never late to Him. They have failed, but stood up and found themselves another stop ahead from where they have fell. Finally, he found comfort in God. In page 65, “Come to Him, and be not a laborer but a son, and you will become a partner of the infinite God and of His world,” shows irony of how Julius now resting in the presence of God when he had worked and wondered all his life.

This whole story handled the topic of paradox: Truth and false; light and dark; Christians and the old man (physician); or young and old. And these paradoxes emphasize the difference faces of this world that most people are usually perplexed and troubled to comprehend. It is the reality that the world itself contains all the opposites and paradoxes just like in the story. Everyone pursuit happiness, but many people end up dying. But, none of these matters if one has put his feet on the realm of God, because we are all equal and loved. This story is not a fairy tale, but a true life story of a man. Correction. Life story of all of us, where all of us have the chance to walk in the light, but pulled away by darkness. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD. Lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge him. He’ll make your path straight.” Our understanding and knowledge is useless compared to God and he has the power to straighten the crooked path, so we could be with him. Again, our path that we are walking on is not easy, but it is God who is willing to save us from it.

Tolstoy, Leo. Walk in the Light While There Is Light and Twenty-Three Tales. 2003. New York: Orbis Book, 1923.
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