Man Carrying Cross for Thousands of Miles to Grand Canyon To Share Incredible Message
When Jesus calls for his followers to take up their cross and follow him, there is no telling exactly what that cross might be in their life. Each person’s journey is unique, and at times it may not make sense to those around them.
For Acie Burleson, Jesus’ call to take up his cross was a literal one.
Fourteen years ago, Acie and his wife Anastasia both became followers of Christ at a church conference. Shortly after, Acie felt burdened to build a physical cross and share the gospel. He had a dream in which a voice told him “Go and tell others about the returning of Christ Jesus.”
Burleson has traveled the country many times, but his most recent spiritual journey is garnering national attention. Burleson began walking with his cross from his hometown of Andrews, South Carolina, on March 11 and hopes to reach the Grand Canyon by the end of May.
Even though he receives criticism and ridicule from some people, Burleson doesn’t back down from his mission or his passion. “I love Jesus. That’s it. I just love Jesus.” He said in a recent Facebook live.
When faced with a heckler as he street preached, Burleson’s response was loving and humble. “I just told him that God loves him, Jesus loves him. I’m just doing my best to share the Gospel … As long as God’s Word got out, that’s all that really matters.”
In another video captured by Corinth Today, Burleson passionately said that he is on this journey “because Jesus Christ is still good news.”
As of April 29, Burleson made it to Memphis, Tennessee, and already had some powerful stories to share. He shared one particular story with the Carolina News and Reporter that encourages him when the going gets rough.
“There was a woman driving and she was just looking at me, so I waved like ‘Hello’ and kept walking. She then cut me off and is just falling out of her window weeping and crying,” He said. “Just like that crying and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh what’s wrong? What happened? Are you alright?’ and she said ‘I was one block away from killing myself and you stopped me.’”
Burleson is relying heavily on God’s provision as he makes his way west.
Since beginning his journey, Burleson has received countless offers for lodging along his way, free rides for difficult legs of the journey, and an abundance of prayer. He said he told God that if he was supposed to have something that he would not ask, but that he would receive.
Burleson’s testimony is providing many opportunities in and of itself to share the gospel, but he is also encouraging others to do the same. Steve Morgan saw Burleson carrying his cross through the University of South Carolina campus recently, and told the Carolina News and Reporter that he thought Burleson’s actions showed that people should not be afraid to talk about their faith in God.
“I think today many people are afraid of it. They are afraid to say, hey I am a little bit different. This is what I believe.”
Even though Burleson knows his destination, he is still unsure what will happen once he arrives. “Whether or not I stay there or go, I don’t know yet,” Burleson said.
Burleson certainly knows sacrifice, as he has spent months at a time away from his wife and four children, subject to the elements and to ridicule. That is not even counting the weight of a literal cross on his shoulders!
It is obvious that Burleson’s faith in Jesus is central to his life. Every opportunity to him is a chance to share the gospel. Jesus Christ is STILL good news, and it is a beautiful thing to see someone taking that news to the masses.
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