The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-12-24
BENTON, LOUISIANA,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1896,
Christmas.

so important to the spiritual welfare
of the world that we set apart anc
hedge it in with impressive cere
monials and music, representing oul
aspirations, and with oratory which
melts the heart as it comes from the
burning lips of the preacher.
If We had never had Christmas
Day our religion would still be a
vague Perhaps, an agonizing hope.
an unsatisfied longing after immor-
tally, as it was with the populace OF
ancient Greece and Rome. They had
the capacity for faith. as we have
and they were as deyout as We are;
but they dared not reason concerning
their gods, lest they might diappeaI
altogether. Iu after times the world
did reason about them, and the
august personages of Olympus sud
denly became myths.
The man who celebrates Christ
mas, on the other hand, enjoys a faith
which has stood the test of time and
experience; a faith built on historic
facts and defended by the most ath-
letic intellects; a faith which is worth
something because it can do some
thing with the life that is under its
influence. You may refuse to accept
the dogmas which men have violently
wrested from misunderstood texts,
but you cannot deny that the truly
Christian man is the noblest being
that walks the globe. Neither can you
deny that the spirit of tue Christian
religion will so fit one to bear the ills
of life that even death seems an in
significant incident in the career of
the soul.
Christmas Day was critical point
of time in two worlds. We are apt
to think solely of what happened
here on the earth, but the Importance
of the event which occurred aud of
the consequences of that event was
fully appreciated in heaven. We
imagine that it must have been dis
cussed in all its aspects by those no.
bic souls who had put off the gar
ments of flesh, but were still inter-
ested in the spiritual evolution of
mankind. They certainly knew of
the era that was to be inangurated,
aud it is inconceivable that they
should regard it with Indifference.
We are told also that the angels
took part in the details of the occur.
renee, some being sent to announce
the coming of the Messiah, while
hosts of others joined in the over
ture, with its refrain of "peace on
earth and good will to men," If our
religion is reality to us we must
needs believe that what happened
at Bethlehem and during the years
of Christ's ministry was much better
understood beyond the clouds than
on this under side of them, and that
the day marked an epoch iu heaven
as we'll as among men. If this train
of thought seems to bring the other
world very close to this one, aud if
we are thereby convinced that the
plans of God with regard to human
kind are watched with solicitude and
curiosity by those who have gone
before, we have great reason to
congratulate ourselves on what the
Bible constantly reiterates as fact.
1t is a white day in our lives, be-
cause its very festivities have a
groundwork of prophecy. The CON-
ing Of Christ was the symbol of our
going TO heaven. The family reunion
is partly joyous and partly sad, for
with each recurring year We are re-
minded of farewells that have been
said to the departing as we'll as of
cordial greetings to newcomers
And these reunions are a type of
that other Home in whose broad
acres there is not a single church
yard and across whose threshold
death never passes. We can hardly
understand condition of life in
which goodbys are never uttered,
but we are assured that when once
across the border we can face etern-
ity with the consciousness that true
love will never again be interrupted.
There is another fact which the
day brings to mind, and which has
reference specially to this life
namely, that Christ's religion is very
simple in its requirements, and con-
sists of certain ideas intended to
make every mans life more satisfac-
tory to himself and more profitable
to his neighbors. We confess to not
being able to find any theological
dogmas in His teaching. If you love
God as your Father you cannot help
loving every member of Gods house
hold, and that inclusive love exer-
cises as genial an influence over you
as the rays of the sun do on the grass
and flowers of the field. Indeed, it
may be said that religion is nothing
else than sunshine, while theology
is a learned treatise on it's chemical
constituents. Whether you are or
are not interested in the scientific