Vashon Island news. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1907-19??, 1907-12-06
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THE PEACEMAKER.


they shall be called the children of
God."-Matt. 90.
How simple are the gateways that
open Into the most sublime moral and
spiritual privileges. The great teacher
says that II any would be known as
the children of the Eternal they have
hut to learn TO be peacemakers among
their fellows. The ordinary virtues
commonly are the conditions of the ex-
traordinary beatltudes
If the teacher meant by peace quiet
ness, Indifference, ease and sleep there
WAS time when the people of the
church might we'll lay claim to being
called the children OF God; they were
at peace with their own selves and
willing to be at peace with the world
II only they might continue to sleep
undisturbed.
There are those who conceive Of no
other peacemakers than those who ar
bitrate between warning nations If
these are the only children OF God the
family is small and by no means a
homogeneous one. You may have little
to do with the good work of dtsarma-
ment and still be true peacemaker
as you bring TO human conditions and
relations great calm and more perfect
harmony.
They are peacemakers who have the
spirit of the family Of the greater
Father In their hearts, who bring men
together in these divine family ties.
There never will he harmony amongst
men by means of iaws or agreements ;
one thing only will bring 1.-THE
spread Of the spirit Of brotherhood.
When a man begins to order his life
for the helping of other lives, when he
no longer plans to beat his fellows,
but to bless the race, he becomes the
servant of divine peace; he catches the
spirit of the coming kingdom based on
the universal brotherhood.
There are people whose lives breathe
out calm, whose presence is always like
oil on troubled waters. There are 9th
ers who never fail to stir up strife. who
have faculty for accentuating nntag-
onIsms and for setting folks by the
ears. The one looks out on life with
eyes of love, with desire TO help and
promote good feeling; The other with
cupidity and enmity.
We need men and women who by
their bearing and conduct Will promote
good feeling and frlendlIncss n good
deal more than we need laws for the
banishlng of weapons and plans of war.
The finest peacemakers In this world
are the plain men and women who help
us to like other folk and live with
them.
Whoever. in any way, succeeds in
taking any Of the friction and unrest
out of life is peacemalcr. The king
dom of heaven that Is coming will be
the Kingdom of perfect harmony; it
will come when humanity learns the
great lesson that all this experience Of
pain and JOY should he teaching lis,
the lesson OF living at peace and in love
with our brothers.
Fair words about fraternity easily
are spoken and soon forgotten; It IS a
good deal easier 10 preach peace than
1t Is To practice It. lis day never will
come so long as the chief concern of
each life is 10 get ahead of every other
life. II never will come until we fully
see that Jesus meant something more
than pretty figure of speech when he
tnlked Of the divine fatherhood and the
human brotherhood.
Why should there not be the same
harmony amongst all men that there is
in n family Homes are enriched and
the chief joys of cur lives found by the
process OF ceasing 10 live for our indl-
vidnai selves and living for the social
group.
some day we Will open our eyes TO
see the waste, the loss and pain and
discord caused by our individualism.
We shall see fully what we now but
dlmly apprehend-tha the real riches,
the lasting joys. the enduring prosperi-
ty OF life spring from the things we
have done for others without thought
of ourselves.
So long as each is wholly for himself
there Will he conflict, dlscord and
pain; when each shall live for all, then
all will be working for one common
end, the race rather than the man.
then all Will move In harmony, peace
will have her perfect work and all will
be known as one family, the children
OF God.