The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-06

ashamed and c~onfoundcd by my ordinary
modes OF contsnted woIid,iness LET me
against 1t, and, realizing the truth. in
stead of glazing IL over, instead of turning
my back on Christ as men OF the world
do. or patronizing Him, as though the best
and cleverest of US were fit TO touch His
garments"
Yes-he who first wrote into the Iitany of
the soul that passionate cry, "Oh, Christ,
hear US Lord. have mercy on usi' was
some man with the seeing eye, the hear
ing ear, who suddenly found that he had
been, like other men, worshiping a grim
ming skeleton, half self, half world. while
beyond his W grave clothes stood the
divine vision of the Master he had neg
lected and the heavenly life he had forgot
ten. May God give you and me, my friends.
the wish TO break through the vast, silent
conspiracy of the world about US. to realize
our sins and seek the things which be-
long unto our peace
There is still another truth I am anxious
To apply through the thought of the text.
The seeing eye, the hearing ear. we note,
teach us also our neighbor's need We
often ask why men are not more helpful
10 each other. IL is generally because we
are deaf and blind. We do not realize the
needs of the world. 1t is not s~elfishness so
much as a defective power OF imagining
and observing. Oh, We pass by so blindly
and unconsciousIy the myriad outstretched
hands held up to Us for aid. II is not
money alone they are seeking; ii is SYM
PATTY, consideration, counsel, interest. lift
ing power The tiny hands of infants. the
aspiring hands of youth. the rough hands
Of manhood. the wrinkled hands of old age
how many of them are there. And
among them how many worn hands, too,
how many hands nervous with fear, how
many thin with sickness, hew many para
lyZed with misery
Oh. take more thought, you who are
strong or prosperous, for those you can
aid. You may be holding UP your own
hands, trembling with apprehension some
daV before the throne of Cod Do not saw.
then, as we are prone TO do, that all is
well with us. Extend your vision, sharpen
your hearing to the needs OF all about you.
How many excellent people i know (good
fathers and mothers. moral, upright who
yet live as IL all their responsibility ended
in their own family, and a few friends. hv-
ing almost as if theirs was the only family
in the world, giving a trif1e now and then
TO charity. but abdicating almost every
other duty in the city, the parish, the
neighborhood. 1t is generally due largely
10 a defective imagination. They are partly
blind, partly deaf.
THE KIND WORD.
And in many other households there is.
generally, at least one such person crippled
in another w~ay-blind to the mead of q
kind word. an appreciative manner an
cbliging way, or deaf to the call for SYM
pathy, or tact. or loving kindness which
other peoples needs are continually max
ing on US. "f didn't think."-ah, how much
Of misery lies behind that excuse. We
didn't think" simply because we didn't
try to at the time. Out from the multitude
of fellow-sinners at the last day, and a
little nearer to God. will stand those who
do think for the hungry and thirsty
souls about them. and who not alone by
giving food to the starving, but by minis
arfn4 - tla L,,,-., loo~+- 80 ~ ;--.~.1-
of their own homes, have fulfilled the
Lords condition. 'Inasmuch as We did ii
unto one of the least of these my brethren,
we did it unto Me-"
Here, then, we have some of the secrets
which the seeing eye and the hearing ear
teach US about God. ourselves and other
people. After all, what does il amount to
but to say that we need to pray for less
sluggishness and d~rowsiness in our spiritu-
al lives. The world is crying aloud to-day
for a new birth in Christians. We need TO
have our nerves more keen in feeling, our
muscles more alert to answer the demands
of an energetic age. Religion into life
that is the demand of the hour. Some time
ago I was told of the strange sight pre-
scented one night by a dead tree on one of
our streets which had accidentally at
tached to il one end of a live electric wire.
There was a remarkable illumination be-
meath the bark. 1t seemed as If the entire
trunk was on fire. each crack and crevice
In the bark glowing with light visible far
away. People come in crowds to see 1t.
That Is what the world needs to see i'm
the Christian Church everywhere to-day,
as IL has not done, so far. Do you COM
plain of the slow growth of religion. the
backward condition of our church. our city.
on. land. in morals and noble living? Let
the world see in your home. i'm your parish.
a man, a woman on fire with the grace of
God, and you will find that others can
burn as well as you. -