Elizabeth, Gabriel’s wife, had a different method of seeking wholeness than Gabriel. She lived a completely different life of sin than he had; she went along in life always thinking she was right and everyone else was wrong. After Richard, her previous husband, passed away, she went back to a normal lifestyle until she met Gabriel through her friend Florence, Gabriel’s sister. They got to know each other fairly well, and one night headed to church, they talked about God. Elizabeth told Gabriel that “‘Till you come,’ she said, in a low, trembling voice, ‘I didn’t never hardly go to church at all . . . I was all bowed down with shame . . . and sin’” (221). Here, Elizabeth reveals that she had been living a life that was not for the Lord. She …show more content…
Gabriel would also discipline John by sometimes beating him and yelling at him, revealed by John’s memories of “his father’s arm, rising and falling, [that] might make him cry, that voice [that] might make him tremble” (15). That night in the church, however, all of the members’ prayers paid off. It began when the first two ladies walked in, talked with John and Elisha for a few minutes, and one of them. Sister McCandless, said, “‘Brother Johnny here is mighty faithful. The Lord’s going to work with him in a mighty way, you mark my words’” (60). She believes that one day, John is going to get right with God, and he will become a light in the dark world they live in. Then they began praying, and everyone in the church begins to hear John become very active in his praying, being very vocal about what is happening inside of him, yelling, “‘Oh, blessed Jesus! Oh, Lord Jesus! Take me through!’” (241). Elisha responds by yelling, “‘Oh yes! Bless our God forever!’” (241). Through the power of prayer, John sought wholeness and redemption of his sinful life, completing the theme Baldwin includes throughout the