The Tupelo journal., 1903-01-30
WHAT WE OWE TO OTHERS.
The True Standard of Greatness L
Service-How Christ Would
Define Friendship.

The true standard of greatness is
service. 1t is not what we have of
gifts, culture, strength, but what we
do with our endowed life. Some n
says: He only is great of heart who
floods the world with a great atfec-
ton. He only is great of mind who
stirs the. world with great thoughts.
He only is great of will who does
something to shape the world to a
great career. And he is greatest who
does the most of all these things and
does them best" We are living
worthily only when we are holding all
that is in us at the service of our fell
low-men. We must love, and il we
love we must serve.
There are some people who say they
want to have friends, meaning by
friends pleasant people who will come
into their lives to do things for them,
who will minister to their comfort,
who will make living easier for them;
but that is not the way Christ would
define friendship. He would put it
just the other way, says Wellspring.
The true Christian desire is to be a
help to them. To everyone we meet
we have some errand.
This doe not mean hat we should
be obtrusive in pressing u help on
those we meet. That is the best help
fulness which flows out from the life
as light from a star, as fragrance from
a flower. Love works most effectively
when it works unconsciously, inspired
from within. Your friend does not
come to you and say: 81 want to cheer
you up. l want to help you to be
noble" No one wants to be helped
in that officious way. But he comes
rather as your friend, with no pro-
gramme, announcing of his desire
comes quietly, bringing into your life
the best that is in his own life to give.
Then virtue passes unconsciously
from him to you, and new happiness
and blessing come to you from him,
you know not how. You go away with
new courage, new gladness, new in
spiration, in your heart. You are
strengthened in your purpose to live
"oll hll " ~ NoSNI nan
before to make the most of your life.
Of course, love should be discrimi-
mating. Not all people need us in the
same measure. Our h%elpfulness should
go out most to those who need us most.
The strong ought to help the weak.
1t is wonderful what Christianity is
doing for the world in this way. The
blind are educated until the p~rivation
of blindness is almost eliminated. The
dumb are taught to speak. Men take
the predetermined and, with almost inn
finite patience, find the soul that lies
hidden in the remote depths of the be-
ing and call it out, ofttimes restoring
to sanity and to usefulness lives that
seemed hopelessly imbecile. This is
very beautiful. 1t is all the work of
Christianity-the love of Christ work
ing out through human hearts to help
the weak. Heather civilization had no
sympathy with infirmity. The sickly
child, it was said, would better die.
The lame and blind, the dumb, the
insane, were simply cast out to perish.
But Christianity is filing the world
with love. The other night, four of
the wisest physicians in a great city
sat by a young child's crib through
all the watches, doing the best that
science and skill could do to save the
little ones life. 1t is Christianity that
has taught such lessons as this.
Our debt to others, however, in
c1udes not only physical service, but in
terest in the whole life. Those who
have experience should become guides
to the inexperienced. Those who have
been comforted in sorrow should car
nv. comfort to those who are sorrow
ing. The best that is in us should
ever be at the service of even the least
worthy who stand before us, needing
help. If we have this love in our
hearts, we will look at no human life
with disdain. We will ask concern
ing every one who passes before us,
not "What can I get from this man
for my own advantage?" but, rather,
"What can I do to help this brother of
mine?"
If this were the habitual attitude of
love paradise would soon be restored.
We live continually in the midst of
human needs, and every one has some
thing to give that would help a little,
at least, in supplying these needs. If
we have only five barley loaves and
will bring them to the Master for His
blessing on them, we can then go forth
III 49, r,.4ls xlo-, fool &ho,,corIc ~