Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-24
Thrice Holy
Palestine

the journey to the scenes Of the every
day life of their Savior. 1t is difficult
to realize that in this country where
was revealed the religion of cleanliness
that mortal men should be more dirty
than in any other place on earth. 1t Is
difficult to realize that In this land where
the Great Physician healed the lepers
and restored sight to the blind. that there
should be more lepers and more blind
men than In any other country. 1t is
difficult to realize that in Palestine,
from whence came the Inspiration for
the three religions which have made
possible every progressive step in the
western world, that men live and have
their being amid conditions practically
unchanged from those which obtained
two thousand years ago. 1t is difficult
to realize that amoung all the people
of all the world the people OF Palestine
should be least responsive to the civil
liking influence Of the railroad and the
refining inspiration Of the telegraph.
But at this particular Christmas
season in the year Of Our Lord nineteen
hundred nine, the Christian world, the
remnant of Israel and the household
of the Prophet of Allah may rejoice
together for the first time in the full
fillment, for all, of the words of Simeon
if Jerusalem:
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the
face of all people: A light to tighten the
Gentiles. and the glory Of thy people
Israel"
Within the year since last Christmas
the light OF freedom has broken upon
this distressed Holy Land and for the
first time in all the centuries its people
have known the spirit of the Father
hood of God and the Brotherhood of
Man. For eighteen centuries It has been
death for Jew to enter the court yard
of the Church OF the Holy Sepulchre.
For twelve hundred years no Jew has
stood upon the site Of the Temple Of
Solomon. Bloodthirsty Christian, for
getting the words OF the Master upon
the Cross, have murdered Jews who so
much as dared to approach the grave
of Jesus. Cruel believers upon Moham-
med have cut the threats of pious Jews
who sought to lift up their voices in
prayer upon the hill where Melchesdok
and Abraham, Isaa and Jacob, Davdu
and Solemn, Hezekiah and the Macca-
bees, invoked the succor of Jehovah.
Treacherous and vindictive Jews, suf-
fering under the prosecutions OF CEN
turtles, have dealt death to their ene-
mics of other creeds. Ever since Jesus
died on the Cross of Calvary has Jer-
usalem and all this Holy Land been
drenched with blood shed by murderers
who slew their victims in the name of
religion.
Then came this year 1909 of the Chris
tian era, 5,66s Of the Jewish era, and
1897 of the Mohammedan era, and the
light of liberty for the first time brbke
through the clouds of religious intoler-
anee and illumined the Churches and
Synagogues of Mosques Of the city OF
Jerusalem. 1t was the Young Turks
revolution.
The despotic Sultan Abdul Hamid was
overthrown, and the constitution became
a leality in denighted Turkey, of which
Palestine IL a part. What a great cell
ebration it was In Jerusalem! Young men
of every creed united in the
demonstration of joy. Christians arm
in arm with Jews and Mohammedams
went boldly into the hottest of all holy
Christian churches, the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre. and gave thanks for
their new found liberty. Mohammedans