The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-11
EASTER: THE GREAT
HOPE.

110x
The Equinox is passed--the weather
IS fast passing the coquetish, false
Spring. The sap is mounting in the
trees-the rain will come apouring and
the streams will food. The farmer
Spring is at hand and all the intricate
forces OF life are at work in the pro-
cess of regeneration.
Last years flowers, where are they:
They are the veriest dirt and mould,
dead and gone. And yet, in the re-
birth OF the miracle OF nature we know
that the blossoms of this spring will
be nourished by what was last years
life. We have become SO accustomed
to this great wonder that we dismiss
1t as commonplace. commonplace
that is marvel!
They say that Rome, that ancient
city, died.
But Rome, the conquered-conque
all the world in it's turn, and we our
selves stand still captive in it's letters.
Rome. the dead, fulfilled its mission
and in its ruins there sprang up the
civilization which transformed in the
coarse rough Teuton, Slavic and Gallo
tribesmen from our savage ancestors
into what we are.
That is nothing but Life in Death
A miracle: Nothing more. you say
than the process of evolution. Nothing
but the divine plan of Superior Force
The Scheme of things entire. That's
all.
And yet those who are so active III
explaining things away have but found
still greater miracle than what they
call simple myth. What is an ex-
PLANTATION which can not fathom the
Eternal Mystery but greater mani
festation and a truer promise of the
Great Hope?
What is 1t, gentlemen?
What is this Great Hope of ours
which makes life worth while?
Why this theory that the Good alone
prevails and that the Evil perishes
You can point out more than a million
instances where Evil has triumphed
over the Good.
And yet-you win admit that tbs
Good Is constructive--that Evil is de-
structive. And all existence has been
building-constructin the be-
ginning of things. The work is stiIl
going on.
There is your triumph of Good-that
is. the victory of life over death and
decay.
Life is construction.
For the work goes on and the Good
as permanent.
Thus, at times, mankind gets faint
glimpse Of Eternal Truth, as if that
truth were too dazzling spectacle To
be entirely beheld by mortal eyes.
And so, the festival of Easter is the
Festival of the Life in Death-the trl-
umph of Good over Evil-the Afiirm-
alive over the Negative. This IS the
festival OF Past Existence and Future
Hope. The Great Hope that vanquishes
Despair.
Y
II there is any thing in human ex-
perience which should point out more
than another the hope of ultimate per-
lection or even to Life after Death, it
Is In this commonplace spectacle OF
rebirth in the Spring which is goin.
on all around us.
Dismiss the idea OF Christ's Resu-.
rection, il you WILL as a beautiful myth
and legend dismiss all the evidence
of holy men as mere illusions OF ne,,-
rotic fanatics-do your best to attack
the essential truth Of all religions AM!
all creeds which have been since the
world began-be an atheist and try
to renounce all hope-tio this
The humblest spring weed rising
from the ground can teach you the
lesson Of regeneration of Life over
Death.
50. take the story Of christ's Resur-
-.