The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-04-01
SPIRIT OF EASTER
OVER ENTIRE
WORLD
Day is Universally Observed
By Christian People Took
Many Years.

Ever since God said: LET there be
light;;" ever since time was divided
into seasons and day succeeded night.
the real spirit of Easter has blessed
tho earth.
The primitive man vaguely felt its
presence as the dead and frozen world
was transformed by tho resurrection
OF buds and leaves and flowers and
grass
AS time advanced and man through
the repeating years grew in mental
stature and understanding, yet blindly
cropping for the truth, paid tribute to
the awakening of the earth, it was a
festival of joy and thanksgiving; 1t
was response by humanity to a high
err power; it was manifestation of
faith for blessings to be received.
In various nations it was called by
as many names as there were peoples
and tongues. But as humanity is one
Kin, SO one motive prompted all the
sons of man to give expression to their
poems of praise.
Some, In remote ages. paid their
homage to the earth, which gave re-
newed promise of warmth and food.
Others, at later age; paid joyful wor-
ship to the sun on its return to north
ern skies, when 1t melted the frost and
brought forth the verdure.
Thus time passed, and man, slowly
advancing felt spiritual impulse and
peopled the heavens with gods. For
every need there was special god
or goddess, and for the renewing Of
mother earth, the AngloASaxons of
long ago invoked the blessings of the
goddess of spring, Eostre, from which
we get our English word, Easter.
From this worship of the goddess
of Eostre to the worship of Jehovah
by the children of Israel marks long
stride in human progress. but it was,
after all. only the better expression
OF the same spirit. When the destroy
ing angel passed over the houses of
the children Of Israel in Egypt when
he smote the Egyptians" in their spirit
OF thankfulness the Jews established
the Passover festival. While the two
festivals seem to have been confused
in the early days of the Christian
church, there is in the two wide
spirit of difference, although both were
founded on thanksgiving.
The spirit of the Passover was
thankfulness to God in saving the first
born of His chosen people. The spirit
of Easter is the bridge of hope that
spans the space between the earth and
immortality.
While there is evidence that the
Apostles observed Easter as special
occasion, and while for many subse-
quent years there was no recognized
day when the church celebrated the
event which Is now the chief of the
Christian holy days, the spirit was not
lacking in those who walked and talk
ed with Christ. It took the church
many years to bring the Christian
world to universal observance of this
one day Of Easter.
The great lesson of the day is the
acknowledgment of the spirit in man,
feeble at first, but which through mill
ions of years, perhaps, has become the
greatest power for the uplifting of the
world.
The real spirit of Easter is the light
of faith in man which leads to God.
1t was in the primitive man when he
first became master of the beasts, and
won his right to life. It was in the
cave man, it was with the mound build
ers, 1t was with the barbarians of the
north and the south. 1t was present
in the valley of Nile, the cradle of
the earliest civilization, and it was
with our own aborigines.
1t was the great power that lifted
man above the brutes-the real spirit
of Easter, the inquiring stimulus for
a higher being than man, unseen, my,i-
FERROUS, often fearful. 1t was the fear
of this mystery that they read in the
sun and stars, whose voice of anger
was the thunder, and whose sword of
vengeance was the lightning and whose
messenger of destruction was the tor.
nadO
1t was this heritage of fear that came
down from the wild men and the saw
ages to the forefathers of history. 1t
is manifest throughout the old tesla
ment. They believed in a God whose
favor was to be won with sacrifice of
beasts and burnt offerings, who de-
lighted In the Staying of the Phillis-
tines.
Then came the humble son of Mary,
who taught new commandment:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy might and with all thy
strength, and they .neighbor as thy
SELL"
He taught kindness and justice and
equality Of man. He was put to death
because he disturbed tho existing Or
der of things, the cruelty and the in
justice and the hypocrisy. And, yet,
His teachings have been accepted by
most OF the civilized world. and his
leadership acknowledged by the sons
O.! men.
From the morn of the earth to the
present day was a long and weary way
for the Easter spirit. At first it was
but a faint, Pickering spark. 1t be-
came mans greatest mental stimulus.
1t was the unsolved problem, What
lies beyond?" 1t has brought humanity
from savagery to civilization-not only
in Christendonl, but in all the nations
o: tho earth.
AS man grew in intelligence, the
Easter spirit became more and more
part OF i1im-his better and higher
nature. 1t has conquered wilderness
es, discovered continents, builded cit
les, established governments-and its
mission is but begun.
1t is the faith that makes sacrifice
and hardships pleasure-the faith in
loving God. 1t is the seed of I'M
mortality In humanity-and the best
evidence that 1t is immortal is it's
achievement of inspiring men and wo-
men to nobility of character, to love
for their fellows and abiding faith in
Omnipotence.
In all the ages this spirit of Easter
this spark of divinity seeking its
source-has found expression in ways
best suited to the conditions of men.
Whether they blessed the fruitful earth
as 1t threw of its coverlet of snow and