Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
Sunday Morning Talk
A Straight Word on Religion.

Perhaps l may be permitted, here at the
outset Of the year, to make my word to
those who good enough to follow this
department from week to week a little
more personal than is my wont. We have
had some pleasant chats together during
the last year or two on variety of themes,
but today l would like to confine myself to
one subject, namely, personal religion. 1
would not be an intruder in the realm of
anybodys private affairs, but somehow l
am moved today to speak, as frankly and
as kindly as 1 may. about the claim re-
ligion has upon the life of everyone of US
The swift passing of the years can badly
fail to make US a wee bit thoughtful. What
does it all mean-this rapid flight of time?
Is there any clew to the mystery? Long
as life may be, in the case of any of us, it
is short at best. Seventy, eighty, even
ninety years are a brief span compared
with the sweep of eternity. If there is
anything certain in this uncertain world
it is that we shall not be here long. The
vast majority of us Will speedily be forgot
ten. Is there anything that give dig
nifty and significance TO these transient
years?
Only one answer to this question has sat
isfied the heart of man. Religion alone.
personal religion, gives meaning to life,
and the irreligiouS man whatever else he
may be-honest, kind, generous-fails to
grasp lifes real riches. l am not speaking
now of one religion distinct from an
other or of the fine distinctions within the
pale of a given religion, say Christianity.
/ have in mind rather the religious spirit
which underlies all religious forms and
which often uniteS those whose outward
observances are quite unlike even though
they ignore this inner tie. So when L urge
a man to be religious do not ask him first
of all to accept my creed or attend my
church l bid him rather connect his life,
as he will, with that great force called re-
ligion, which he already knows, is the Sc
cret of the worlds progress and the pow
er behind the lives of the best men and
women whom the world has ever known.
Two or three things l deem to be essential,
my brother my sister.
You must submit your life to this higher
power. You must trust and obey ii. The
heart of religion is some form of submits
sion. You must confess that you are not
strong or wise enough to go alone. You
must put your ambitions, your hopes, your
capacities in the keeping of one worthy to
be trusted and loved and served. In other
words you must become a child again and
lean hard upon a strength and wisdom that
are not your own. There is only one class
of persons who can never be truly reli-
gious. They are the proud and the self
sufficient.
You must pray. You must cultivate an
intimacy with this higher power Your
prayers need net be long conventional
but they ought to be frequent and genuine.
No matter if praying comes hard at first,
persist and the practlce Will De easier ana
increasingly rewarding. Don't stop to the
orize or philosophize on the subject, but
learn to speak to God as simply and as
naturally as children talk to their parents.
1 do not guarantee that all your prayers
will be answered. AS you keep on praying
you will care less and less for that. but I
can assure you that prayer persisted In
brings its own assurance that 1t pays to
pray, that a man is not wasting his breath
but is communing with the Almighty.
One thing more. The religious mood de-
ponds for its sustenance also on the right
kind Of food. There is a book which
looms far above all other books In its
power to inform and kindle the spirit of
man as 1t seeks to have commerce with its
creator. do not claim for the Bible every
merit which some of it's too jealous friends
claim but 1 am sure that 1t is essential to
the building up and perfecting of the relig-
ious life.
Such are some Of the basal elements of
personal religion. Why not. my friend,
have religion of your own? Why wait
till everything Is explained? Why be dis
couraged because you started long time
ago and failed? Today Is New Year SUM-
day. THE PARSON.