The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-24
REV. M. w. Dor.
Terre Haute. Ind.
A SPECTACLE TO THE WORLD:


angels and to men" Cor w.. vi
Evidently as the apostle writes these
words, he has in mind the ancient
amphitheater and its arena; tier on tier
rise the seats of the vast structure, filled
by the throng Of spectators, who
alert to every motion, in utter self-for-
getfulness watch the conflict between
man and man. or man and beast as
they contend with one another for life
and victory. So, he virtually says, is
it with us: we are in the arena OF the
worlds amphitheater, and as we con-
tend with opposing forces, moral glad
iators as we are, the world looks on
sharply, scanning each movement, cog
INFANT of every by-play, applaudlng
each we'll directed stroke, and at the
end, giving to the victor his hard-earned
reward.
It seems to me there is a lesson IN
this well worth our bringing to the llght
and considering; more than that TO
carry away with us, and allow it to ala
us in our future endeavors is both rea-
sonable and desirable.
This I take it to be true: We are
the spectacle, the contestants In tne
arena. Each, however humble, weak,
poor, or otherwise, stands in the midst
of the great throng of humankind, a
center for the gaze of many eyes, the
observed of many observers, all OF
whom are taking note of the contest
which he wages, not only judging OF
the battle but setting his own life some
what by that which he beholds. Thus
into every life there comes the scrutiny
of neighborhood, and thus again, from
every life there flows contrlbutory
stream into other human depths, and
each is giving of himself that influence
which ultimately makes the life OF the
world to be as it is seen and known.
The first fact, then, to which our
thought is called is, that every man mas
his influence; that in this human world
to which he is made spectacle, ne is a
power, and that he makes the trend OF
world life to be toward sweetness,
beauty, righteousness or the opposite,
just as he lives his days.
1t needs but a slight obstacle to
change straight into winding path
way: so in life, one as humble and as
thoroughly unknown as shepherd'sWl1e
on plain of Esdraelon, may cause the
stream of humanity to flow in straight
courses with melodious ripplings, or
turn it to the frettings of ragged rocks,
into dark repulsive depths, as truly as
though crowned one, very Isabel OF
Sidon. A straw, so slight that one
scarce notes it, will reveal the tumult IN
the atmosphere, and tell US of the WIND
whence it cometh and witherward
it tends; the frailest and seemingly least
noticed life does more, for it not only
shows but gives direction to the cur
rent. 1t takes but little, oft-times
even the imperceptible suffices, to
create an influence in this world OF ours.
A friend hands me pitted stone; GER
tain characters it bears he tells me are
the cardinal points, the North and
South of the fragment as it lay, portion
of a rock which Nature made OF sea-
beach sand. 1 give the north to meet
its own. and holding in my hand frag-
ment of leaflin natures diary, read
therefrom the story of a rainy day, that
great drops fell and lost themselves in
sandy vase, impelled and quickened by
a wind, of which mariner, in some
things more accurate of speech than
dweller on the land would say, sit was
south of east, sir, and rather brisk"
1t may be that only for a moment did
the downpour last, ''only shower"
some ante-diluvian may have said, cast
ing his weather.eye upward, but only a
shower was so much of shower, the
"only" of so much Importance amidst
the events which crowd worlds chro-
nology, that nature put it down, writ
ing the chronicle indelibly, thus giving
to so slight food for thought, enduring
ness.
Once, when the great Life-giver
would start the procession of organic
life, among the first to whom he gave
existence was one at which crawling,
wriggling worm would look askance
and laugh at its pretensions; it slept
and now from far down in the rocky
foundation that sustains the pressure
of mighty world, we read its memoir
writ in character of lime or carbon.
A spectacle" unto the world it still
remains.
Centuries agone, one who was mas
ter of his kind walked through Judean
fields and climbed the Galilean billsides,
and the rustic of his feet amid the
grass found echo in every cline and
each succeeding age; walking or resting
by the pathway, his clear seeing eye
beheld the grass and lily of the field,
now in the sun and now for an instant
Swallowed DER by swiftly flying bird,
then came to rest upon his brothers by
his side, and said to them: "Are ye not
,o,,ob haitian than thasa2D And On T