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Page 3
There is no age that has not had its prophet. No country, no people, but
that has produced its leader. But did any of them ever before come as a
little child? Did any of them begin to lead while yet in arms? Lodges
there upon any other baby brow "the round and top of sovereignty?" What
distinguished Christ and His Christian followers from all the world?
Behold! no mighty monarch, but "a little child shall lead them!"
You may see through the glass darkly, you may not know or understand
the blessedness of faith in Him as He would have you know it, but there
is nothing that can dim the light that radiates from that birth in the
rude cave back of the inn. Ah, it pierces through the darkness of that
shrouding night. It shines to-day. Still sparkles the Star in the East.
He is that Star.
There is nothing that can take from mankind--even doubting mankind--the
spirit of Christ and the Christmas season. Our celebrations do not rest
upon the conclusions of logic, or the demonstrations of philosophy; I
would not even argue that they depend inevitably or absolutely upon the
possession of a certain faith in Jesus, but we accept Christmas,
nevertheless; we endeavour to apply the Christmas spirit, for just once
in the year; it may be because we cannot, try as we may, crush out
utterly and entirely the divinity that is in us that makes for God. The
stories and tales for Christmas which have for their theme the hard
heart softened are not mere fictions of the imagination. They rest upon
an instinctive consciousness of a profound philosophic truth.
What is the unpardonable sin, I wonder? Is it to be persistently and
forever unkind? Does it mean perhaps the absolute refusal to accept the
principle of love which is indeed creation's final law? The lessons of
the Christmastide are so many; the appeals that now may be made to
humanity crowd to the lips from full minds and fuller hearts. Might we
not reduce them all to the explication of the underlying principle of
God's purpose to us, as expressed in those themic words of love with
which angels and men greeted the advent of the Child on the first
Christmas morning, "Good will toward men?"
Let us then show our good will toward men by doing good and bringing
happiness to someone--if not to everyone--at this Christmas season. Put
aside the memories of disappointments, of sorrows that have not
vanished, of cares that still burden, and do good in spite of them
because you would not dim the brightness of the present for any human
heart with the shadows of old regrets. Do good because of a future which
opens possibilities before you, for others, if not for yourselves.
Brethren, friends, all, let us make up our minds that we will be kindly
affectioned one to another in our homes and out of them, on this
approaching Christmas day. That the old debate, the ancient strife, the
rankling recollection, the sharp contention, shall be put aside, that
"envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness" shall be done away
with. Let us forgive and forget; but if we cannot forget let us at least
forgive. And so let there be peace between man and man at Christmas--a
truce of God.
Let us pray that Love shall come as a little child to our households.
That He shall be in our hearts and shall find His expression in all that
we do or say on this birthday of goodness and cheer for the world. Then
let us resolve that the spirit of the day shall be carried out through
our lives, that as Christ did not come for an hour, but for a lifetime,
we would fain become as little children on this day of days that we may
begin a new life of good will to men.
Let us make this a new birthday of kindness and love that shall endure.
That is a Christmas hope, a Christmas wish. Let us give to it the
gracious expression of life among men.
[Illustration]
FROM A FAR COUNTRY
[Illustration]
_Being a New Variation of an Ancient Theme_
A STORY FOR GROWN-UPS
I
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