Broken Arrow Man Carries Cross, Good News World-Wide

By Dan Bewley, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A Broken Arrow man is celebrating 25 years of carrying a cross around the world. Keith Wheeler began his journey on Good Friday, 1985.

His most recent trip was to Siberia, but The News On 6 caught up with him Friday in downtown Tulsa.

Keith Wheeler has a simple mission. Carrying a 12-foot cross and spreading God's love.

"This is for Jesus. What's your name, can I pray for you?" Wheeler asked a passerby.

For 25 years Wheeler has shouldered his cross, walking nearly 20,000 miles and visiting 188 countries.

"Places like Rwanda, Bosnia, Chechnya, Nicaragua, El Salvador, all throughout the Middle East - Iraq, Iran," Wheeler said, describing his journeys.

The News On 6 has been following Wheeler on his life's journey. He says he was called in 1985 to take up a cross and bring God's hope and love to all corners of the world.

For many people the cross has become, simply, a decoration.

"But when you see a life size cross it reminds you of something, something bigger than ourselves," Wheeler said.

Wheeler says he's welcomed in most countries but also says he's been beaten, stoned, and held at gunpoint. He hopes Christians worldwide recognize the importance of Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified, and says his cross to bear is simply a reminder of love, faith, and dedication.

"It's just a message. It's a message of His love because of what we celebrate traditionally on this date, the death of Jesus we can be forgiven but because of His life we can know him personally," Wheeler said.

Find out more about Keith Wheeler at his web site.