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IS IT A DRUDGERY, OR DELIGHT?
Life is a curious thing. In fact, it is largely
what you see it to be. Our lives are the shad
ows of ourselves, our projection on the screen
of time.
Life is filled full of marvelous experiences.
Look back a few years and see the curious
turns in the road, the narrow escapes from
disaster, the foolish fcai*s of impossible dan
gers, the broken bridges we never had to cross,
the blind alleys into which we went unthink
ingly and out of which we had to come, some
what behind in the race. Life is largely as we
look at it. This is the true psychology of exist
ence.
is it a drudgery, a monotonous doing and
undoing of certain things, a running of a round
of duties, or is life a delight, a buoyant over
mastering of difficulties? It is strange how
even the humblest duties can be made inter
esting, bringing a joy into our souls, if we
see that these are not cruel limitations placed
by a harsh Fate.
Too often we think that we are so unjustly
hampered; so cruelly limited in our knowledge
and especially in our opportunities. But
there is 110 such monster as fate. We do not
live in that kind of a world. Monotony is
not the economy of this world. Our limita
tions are only obstacles over which we may
rise and get immense joy in the effort. Things
that come easy have no happiness to them. It
is the sturdy effort that sends a thrill through
our souls, not lolling before a warm fire on
luxurious cushions is "the life," but facing tho
bitter blast, and daring and dashing into the
face of the storm king, brings a higher heart
beat and a ruddy joy.
We can turn simple things from drudgeries
to delights by recognizing the importance of
small deeds. The dew-drop takes on the form
of the expansive heavens above. But the dew
drop is worth more to the blade of grass, that
it nourishes, than the starry expanse above.
It is the small things that really count. The
little cogs, or wheels that set the clock of
time aright with the revolution of the sun.
As we look over the year, how many little
things have been seen to be necessary to the
success of the year's work. The small deed,
the kindly word, the every-day duty is a de
light because it is seen to be worth while.
Then a thing becomes interesting.
Things change from drudgery to delight
when we remember that each is really differ
ent. Today is not as yesterday. This simple
duty we seem to have done a hundred times
is really new, if we will look below the sur
face. You are doing it in a new day. You
are using different brain cells, and dif
ferent muscles. Then it is correlated to dif
ferent things about it. The minister may
preach the same sermon over, but it is not
the same; nor is the audience, nor the impres
sion on the audience. The Sunday-school
teacher may teach the same portion of
the Bible, but it is ever new, and start
lingly different. Even the mother may
wash her baby's face and there is a fresh
charm to the baby mouth. This is a world
of change, and change is always interesting.
We can turn drudgery to delight, if we remem
ber the high purpose that sweeps through every
thing.
This high and holy purpose of God includes
all things, "all His creatures and all their ac
tions." ' Then this that seems so like drudgery,
must be a part of the Divine purpose. Many
children find lessons uninteresting and we have
to stimulate them by giving marks and prizes.
It would be better if the skillful teacher could
get the child to see the purpose of the lesson.
We do not have to look long to see a purpose
in the humble duties of life,
The things of life become a delight and not
a drudgery when we remember that the sim
plest thing may reflect the glory of God. The
lump of coal reflects the light of the sun, else ,
you could not see it. So says Paul, and he is
not giving us an impossible task, "do all things
to the glory of God." When this comes about,
our lives will take on a sweetness we never
suspected. Try it. A. A. L.
Contributed
DR. FOSDICK'S SERMON.
By Rev. C. M. Campbell.
Some time ago there was sent out broadcast
from Mr. Ivey L. Lee, of New York City, a
sermon preached by Dr. Harry Emerson Fos
dick in the First Presbyterian church of that
city on the subject, "Shall the Fundamental
ists. Win?" In that sermon Mr. Fordick de
nies the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus in the
following words: "But side by side with
theirs (the fundamentalists) in the evangelical
churches is a group of equally loyal and rev
erent people who would say that the virgin
birth is not to be accepted as an historic fact."
Mr. Fosdick doesn't seem to realize just
how fundamental the virgin birth is to the
Christian religion. It is impossble for one
to deny it without saying that the gos
per writers who tell us of it cannot be relied
upon. If this part of the record cannot be
trusted, how are we going to tell which parts
can be? As I see it, there is no way unless
we submit it. to Mr. Fosdick or some one else
like him, who worships his own wonderful in
tellect.
Again, so fundamental is the virgin birth to
the Christian religion that to deny it one has
to deny the possibility of the miracle, which
Mr. Fosdick proceeds to do. For, of course,
to admit the possibility of the miracle would
be to admit the possibility that Jesus was mi
raculously born. But to deny the possibility
of the miracle is to deny the possibility of re
generation. Salvation thus becomes a process
of social evolution, and Jesus was mistaken
when he said to Nicodemus, "\e must be born
again." If Jesus cannot be trusted, and the
gospel writers cannot be trusted, it is hard to
see where We have any ground at all for the
Christian religion.
It seems to me that it is time we were mak
ing a more active fight against such dangerous
teaching. I should be as sorry as Mr. Fosdick
to see the Church become split on the question.
But we should, at least, know then who stands
for the veracity of the Bible and who does
not. As our nation a generation ago could
not continue to exist half slave and half free,
neither can the Church go on existing half
believing in the Bible and the other half not.
Donaldsonville, Ga.
THE KU KLUX KLAN.
By Rev. T. T. Trimble.
I have just read your editorial comment on
the denunciation of the Ku Klux Klan, by the
"Administrative Committee" of the Federal
Council of Churches in America, and wish to
assure you of my hearty approval of same.
You "wonder how much the Administrative
Committee knows about this organization."
Evidently they know very little, or nothing.
What they think they know is apparently a
deduction from false charges made by news
papers dominated by Roman Catholics, and
from the published denunciations made by cer
tain politicians, with large Catholic constituen
cies.
The charge that the "Ku Klux Klan's aim is
to stir up animosities, commit crimes and over
ride the processes of law," could only be made
through ignorance or wilful misrepresenta
tion.
The aims of the Klan are just the opposite
of that ascribed to it by its enemies.
The declared purposes of the organization
and the ends toward which it is working are :
To promote true Americanism, to maintain the
separation of Church and State, to aid law
enforcement, to promote morality and good
citizenship. The Ku Klux Klan stands for free
schools and the open Bible.
If the "Ku Klux Klan is disowned by the
Churches," as the Federal Council of Churches
declares, how does it come that ninety per cent,
or more, of its members are Churchmen, many
of them leaders in the churches of their com
munity? The Klan with which the writer is
best acquainted embraces in its membership
more than four-fifths of the church officials
and active male members of the Protestant
Churches of the community.
Bunkie, La.
EMPTY PEWS.
Rev. T. D. Wesley.
The Church is constantly tempted to ape
the ways of the world in order to fill the
church pews, but its spectacular shams are a
poor and ludicrous imitation of what the pro
fessions of the world can do.
Ministers are not called to entertain and
amuse the crowds, but to preach the gospel
which is the power of God unto salvation. The
gospel is the greatest moving influence in the
world, is backed by the omnipotent God, and
presents the greatest theme of all destiny.
If God's servant has a message from God
he will also be endowed by the spirit of God
to preach that message (cf. Isa. 61:1). Pews
become empty, where there is no living mes
sage from God, and consequently no burning
and illuminating spirit to deliver it.
Humanity is hungering for the message ac
companied by the Spirit and will flock to hear
the gospel.
Sharps, Ya.
ANCIENT TOMBS.
By Margaret H. Barnett.
Travelers in Egypt tell of some very ancient
tombs in that country, which have been opened
up, and are lighted by electricity, in order that
tourists may explore them. They are the
tombs of early kings of Egypt, and were made
ready in advance, by those who expected to
occupy them as a last resting place. The in
terior is decorated with paintings, illustrating
the occupations of the people of those far
away times, ahd showing something of their
life stories. The colors seem as bright and
fresh as if the work had been done but re
cently.
One wonders why so much time and labor
and expense were employed in beautifying the
interior of the tomb. Did the makers cherish
the belief held by some ancient people that
the soul would some day return to its body,
and did they, for this reason, prepare an at
tractive place for the body! "We cannot an
swer the question, after the lapse of ages. But
it seems like one of the efforts which man
has so often made, to rob of some of his grim
ness the all-conquering enemy ? Death. But no