Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-01-26
WONDERFUL WEDDING.

WuNUERfU VI WEOUIMG.
Imagination is n means of wisdom
III helps II person to put himself in an
others place. and when he gets to thai
state of mind he is not far short oil
being one of the worlds wise men
Bible study calls for imagination. II
requires the reader to transport him
self back to the times n scenes of the
characters he is studying. Here. fol
instance. is Il story of the open mani
hesitation of the superhuman power OF
Jesus. who is just entering upon the
brief career of public service which
forms the greatest chapter in the
worlds history. Yet we are likely to
read 1t in the light of twenty centuries
of familiarity with it's facts and pur,
port. How critical an event it was t.
Jesus, how wonderful to his disciples
and how startling to the little worlc
OF Galilee we cannot readily grasp
For the first miraculous expression OF
the long-realized yet restrained divin-
ity of the Nazareth Carpenter was an
epochal occasion.
The Old Human Ties.
The setting of the scene is charming
ly domestic. and all the characters in
it. save One, are readily understood
i'm h light of Il common human eX-
perience. 1t was on the third day af-
ter the calling of the sixth of the first
disciples: things soon began to happen
for those who had entered this new
Teachers school. A wedding up neal
he old home town of Nazareth re-
CURED the presence of Jesus and his
associates, all of them probably friends
of the bridal pair.
Formal entrance upon His divine
mission did not cut Jesus off from the
world of human relationships. Men
and women meant more to Him than
ever before. His %quickened conscious
ness of the divine purpose in His life
only quickened His love for the old
home. for His family, and for the as
sociates and friends of His youth. He
never broke the old home ties; His
last act on the terrible cross was to
make provision for the care of His
mother.
A biting proverb has it thai God
gives our relatives; we may choose our
friends" The cynical saying is shall
low. In the long run Il mans best
hold. He will never find love like the
home love. God choose better thar
Il Others may praise or please a
man more. but he will find that blood
ties last longest and hold hardest. Our
relationships are fixed factors in our
life, to which we must adjust our
selves. Whoever is not considerate and
tender and loyal in his dealings
with his own kindred is not following
in the train of Jesus.
A wedding feast and not n funeral
was the Jus of the Masters long
journey up from the Jordan to the viii
lage of Cana. AT the very outset OF
His career, when great thoughts
teemed in His brain and great works
beckoned Him, the h~eaven-sent Mes
siah o time for the claims of soci-
ETY.. He was no a~scetic. like John the
Baptist. The anchorite's cell is not His
program for holy living. He dwelt as
He meant His followers to dwell, close
to the normal life of the people, shar-
ing their lot fully and sanctifying it
wholly. The dyspeptic type of relig-
ion which foregoes harmless pleasures
and social joys is more dyspepsia than
religion.
When Dinner Is Spoiled.
A h~ousekeeper can understand bet
ter than a theologian the domestic
tragedy in the home OF festivity al
Cana. The woman whose company
dinner has spoiled "a appreciate the
CONSERVATION Of the host when the
wine gave out during the wedding
feast. 1t takes a great store of grace
to face these little household disasters
serenely. OF course, considered in re-
lation to the whole big scheme OF
q trife; but the householder whose
face" was at stake was not consider
ing the scheme of things, but only this
n particular calamity. To him ii
was big enough to mar all the happi-
ness of this mOmentous occasion of his
life.
So. because it meant much to the
host ~ also ~~~~~ ...N \
pathetic Guest whose best name is
Love. Whatever concerns men affects
Christ. His greatness is not too great
to be touched by the feeling Of our
least inf1rmity. AS Niagara's torrent
supplies light for the smallest attic
lamp in Buffalo, and power for the
tiny cooling fan, Is well as for the IL
Elimination Of a city and for the trans
p%ortation of all its traffic. so the Nj
agara of divine love serves the hearts
smallest need. Nothing is beneath the
care Of infinite compassion. When any
of earth's wines fail-and they all do
fail sooner or later-the Christ of Cana
stands ready to supply more fully a
richer and better.
Tho Meddling Mother.
The mother hen cannot see without
alarm and excitement the duckling she
has Matched taking TO the water, its
powers AL unreallZe0 by her. A p0ng
of parenthood Is to behold the son and
daughter growing out from the neces-
sity of the care of mother and father,
and standing self-reliant in the exer-
else OF their own powers. 1t Is hard
o a mother to realize that her son is
no longer tied to her apron string; that
In all except the inspiration and ofices
OF love. h is unnecessary to him,
Calamities innumerable have resulted
from parents endeavoring to control
lives that have passed beyond their
authority; for God designs that no uer-
son can map out another's destiny.
The rather sad side OF this Cana
scene IL Mary's Intrusion into her Sons
life work. He had to teach her-gently,
In spite OF the harsh sounding won
an" OF the English translatiOn-tha,
He was no longer her babe, but q
man, and more than a man; and that
she must be h~enceforth. with respect to
His Messianic ONCE, no more than any
other dieciple.y Many q loyal, lovins
mother learned her lesson promptly
NEWS AND NOTES.