The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28
CHRISTMAS SEASON OF
CHRISTIAN OPTIMISM
Rev. Newbert Thinks Day One in
the Year in Which All Sorrow
Should Be Forgotten.
PRAISES HELEN KELLER

At All Souls Unitarian Church the Rev.
E. E. Newbert had for his Christmas theme
Good Tidings OF Great JOY" He said in
part: christmas is a blending of Christian
and pagan sentiments. The festival is GER
tainly pre-Christian. The yule log is Scan
dinavian. the mistletoe was sacred to the
Celt. In all things the day is human. But
to-day We need not go back of the Nativity.
1 know not the origin of the words. Good
tidings of great joy, but 1 admit their beau
ty and power. 1t was no small thing in the
ancient world TO speak thus. Indeed. the
whole story of the Nativity is a wonderful
piece of writing. AS wrought into the music
and the art of the ages, we accept the le-
gend, but we would also know the fact. And
as a tribute to imagination and dream we
read again of the star and the magi and the
shepherds and the manger. But seeking
exact knowledge we turn to Renan or Keim
for the fuller reading of the story as set
down in Matthew and Luke.
1.-The spirit of Christmas is seen in the
idea of good tidings of joy, and the world
Life has enough of tragedy We go heavily
loaded. We need something to make us
smile and forget, to help us be joyful and
hopeful. Woe unto the man who would be-
little the real Christmas spirit. Woe unto
the man who would deny sentiment and the
possibility of gladness. Woe unto the man
who would make our load heavier to bear
by driving cheer out of the heart. Woe
unto the world when it no longer remem-
bers its youth, or the generation that for
gets its childhood. 1t is easy to forget, easy
to play cynic, easy to scott at virtue and in
nocence and joy. But let no man who has
lost the sense OF taste say that all things are
bitter. Let not the blind affirm that the
world is darkness. The very greatness and
humanity of the world should make the
pessimist ashamed. There is good in the
world and the world is good If we doubt
this ever, we are made to half believe it at
Christmas. Every generation has its mes
| senger who declares good tidingS of great
| joy Among my Christmas gifts is a thin
volume from Helen Keller entitled Optim-
ism. To those of US who heed her, the es-
/ sayist comes as preacher Those OF us who
| doubt that the world is good or that joy is
! possible or that the goal of life is worth the
cost of struggle and pain and age, should
| read this little book. then change front
Walled about by darkness and shut out for
| ever from the world of sound, missing the
| music in the world and denied the sight OF
/ all things beautiful. Helen Keller can still
| keep cheer in the heart. She believes in the
| possibility of gladnesS for all. She believes
| the world is good, and is sure that the goa
| of life is worth all the struggle costs. Such
a book is real Christmas contribution &c
life
christianity is really an optimistic faith
| The gospel of Jesus is glad tidings, or good
/ news Though the ages forgot this though
! JOY has had scant place in religion. though
/ the church has frOwned upon happiness
/ though piety and good cheer have not gone
on together, and though the gospel has be.
/ fore now been made to mean anything but
| good news, yet the spirit of good, the spirit
OF Joy, the spirit of cheer and hope is still in
| the world, the force by means of which the
/ old world otherwise aged and worn out re-
news its youth and quickens its pace and
| laughs at hardship and sings until the sou
Of man catches the high note of courage"