Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-12-23
CHRISTMAS:
Its Unfinished Business"

[From an essay contributed under this
title to the December number of the
Atlantic Monthly by Rev. Samuel M
| Crothers, ID. D., of Cambridge, Mass.
pastor of the Unitarian church in Brat
tleboro, 1SS2-1SS61
To enter heartily into the spirit of
Christmas one must not take its mes
sage as declaration of an accomplished
fact, but as a prophecy. Now 1t is moth
ing against a prophecy that 1t has not
yet been fulfilled. The farther off It is.
the more credit to the eyes that see and
to the stout hearts that patiently wait
and work for 1t. The practical question
is not HAS 1t Gomez" but rs It on the
way?" Christmas is the time for the con-
sideration of bit of the unfinished bus
mess of the world. II is a pity that any
thing so important should ever have to
give place to other matters but once a
year by unanimous consent 1t is taken
OIL the table. For a little time the peace
maker has the undivided attention Of the
world
First we must listen to the report of
the progress already made. II is such
modest report that we must prepare
our minds in order to appreciate it, The
simple minded cynic must be instructed
In regard to the extreme difficulty and
complexity of the work that has been
undertaken. 1t Is nothing less than the
transformation of carnivorous. not
to say cannibalistic, species into an
orderly society in which each member
shall Joyously and effectively work for the
welfare of all. The first thing of course.
is TO catch your cannibals This of itself
is no easy task, and has taken many CEN
turtles. 1t has involved a vast amount of
wood -chopping and road making and
draining of swamps and exploring of
caves and dens. II Is a task that is still
far from accomplished Savagery is a
condition which cannot be abolished till
there Is conquest of the earth itself.
When the cannibals have been caught and
tanned there comes the problem of keep
ing them alive They must eat some-
thing; point which many of the mis-
sionartes OF civilization have not suf-
hciently considered. Ethical progress ia
delayed by all sorts OF economic compli- |
cations. When the natural man is con-
fronted with the necessity of getting a |
living. robbery is the first method which |
suggests itself to him. When this is
prohibited he turns upon his moral adj
wiser with, What more feasible way do
you propose?" The moral adviser has |
then to turn from the plain path of pure |
ethics, and cudgel his poor wits trying to |
invent little something Ingenious To |
keep his pupil from starving. The clever |
railer at human kind who has always |
mad bank account to fall back upon has |
no idea how much time and thought have |
been taken up in such contrivances
Then 1t should be remembered that the |
missionaries Of civilization have not |
themselves been above reproach. The
'multitudes of the heavenly hosts" might
be heard for a moment singing OF good |
will among men, but they did not remain
to do the work.
That the Christian nations are not
hyprocrites, but novices who have been
making some progress toward the Chris
tan ideal, becomes evident when we look
back over their history They are not |
the descendants of the simple shepherds
Of the plains OF Bethlehem. Far from it,
When they first began to profess and
call themselves Christians" they were |
not thinking of the beatitudes They had
not got that far.
Turn to the Heimskringla and read how
King Oar converted the pagan bonders.
80 King Olaf went into the God-ho
and certain few of his men with him, |
and certain few of the bonders But
when the King came whereas the gods
were. there sat Thor the most honored |
Of all the gods, adorned with gold and
silver. Then King Olaf hove up the gold
rod that he had in his hand and |
smote Thor that he fell down from the |
stall: and Herewith ran forth all the
kings men and tumbed down all the
gods from their stalls. But whites the
king was in the Clubhouse was Iron
Skeggi slain without, even at the very
door. and that deed did the kings men
So when the king was come back to his
folk he babe the bonders take one of two
things, either all be christened, or else
abide the brunt Of battle with him. But
after the death of Skeggi there was no
leader among the folk of the bonders to
raise up banner against King Olaf So
The choice was taken Of them to go to the
king and obey his bidding. Then King
Olaf christened all folk that were there
and took hostages of the bonders that
they would hold to their christening
Thereafter King Olaf caused men of his
wend over all parts of Thrandheim; and
now spoke no man against the faith of
Christ. And so were all folk christened
n the country side"
That is the way the nations of the
1orth were first christianized. What is
he difference between Thor and the
Christ? the simple-hearted people would
lsk. 1.-THE difference" said King Olaf
is very fundamental and it requires little