Reflection of Salvation by Langston Hughes

“Salvation” is a story about a twelve-year-old boy who was brought to a special meeting for children at the church. During this meeting the children would be placed in the mourner’s bench, then the congregation would pray upon them so that they may see or feel Jesus and go to him. Langston never felt the Holy Ghost and he pretended that he could so he could leave. When he arrived to his house, the boy went to his bed and started crying because he never felt the presence. Having a belief in a supreme being can be frustrating for believers sometimes because other believers tell them that they can feel, and some say even talk to the supreme being. Personally, I believe that there is a god, I’m not sure if it’s the Christian God, but I do think that there is a possibility that a god exists. I can relate to this story on a personal level because one time I was at church and people started to pray on other people. My family and I were one of those who were prayed upon and my whole family felt something and they started crying, saying that it was the most beautiful experience they ever went through. I only felt a lot of relaxation, but up to this day I do not know if it was all in my head. Clearly I didn’t see what they saw and that had a huge impact on me. Religion is a powerful thing and it affect’s everyone differently in both positive and negative ways.
Works Cited: Pittmann, Cynthia. Reflection from "Salvation" by Hughes, Langston