All Roads Lead to Calvary

"All Roads Lead to Calvary" by Jerome K. Jerome is a story set in the early 1900s, following a bright young woman named Joan as she works to become a journalist. Joan decides to explore old London churches to write about their history, while also wrestling with her own opinions about religion and life. Along the way, she encounters interesting people, like the elderly Mary Stopperton, who share stories about faith, tough choices, and the problems people faced both in the past and present. The story opens with Joan entering a church looking for ideas for her writing, detailing its history and important visitors. She's fascinated by the church's vibe and chats with Mary Stopperton, who tells her stories about famous folks, like Thomas Carlyle, who visited the church. Listening to these stories and historical information, Joan begins to think about religion, faith, and how belief works in a world that is always changing. A sermon Joan hears gives her a different perspective on life choices and moral problems, which makes her think even harder about her own goals as a journalist and her hope to fight for what's right. The beginning of the story shows Joan's complicated connection to her past, her faith, and her dreams for the future as she tries to make a name for herself in a world undergoing change.