Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-29

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as Paul was face to face with Corinth,
the question arises for the church, Has
Christianity word for the times? Is
1t equal to these new hard tasks? Must
it flee from the crowded, feted, poly
glot downtown, to the more congenlal
atmosphere of prosperous uptown dis
tricts? Is Christianity after all, a
select society Of the morally good and
socially correct? Or is the first bust
ness of the best with the worst? Is
Christianity's mission primarily to the
part of the society which never has it's
doings chronicled in the society col
umns Of the newspaper?
Paurs example answers these ques-
lions. He plunged into the thick of
the Corinthian situation. He establish
ed congenial alliances with his fellow
craftsmen and with the Jewish syn
agogue. At every point he made him
self count as a factor for the city
uplift He was what the modern slang
would call good mixer" There was
not an ounce of consciousness or
pharisaism about him.
l thought Of Paul the other day
when with a friend my attention was
CCllGu ny oOllc DOyS " d sup
posedly drunken man, lying a short
distance down the road among the
grass. We went toward him, and
while I was wondering how decently
to approach the recumbent figure, my
friend had quietly and naturally and
sympathetically as if he himself were
accustomed to sleeping by the road
side every few days, talked with the
man, found out whether he was sick
or intoxicated, and proved himself an
unaffected and interested friend.
The art of that brotherly touch is
the supreme gift of the Christian work
err recall how this same man, who
does noble service among the
Italians in one of our big cities, was
sought few years ago as counsellor
by wild madcap of an Italian girl
for whom the police were hunting be-
cause of some boisterous escapade.
Her family and friends were distract
ed and affrighted. This man took the
little elf to his own home. His wife
and he cared for her there for time,
and they have always kept their in
fiuence strong upon her. Today she is
an earnest Christian young woman and
d NolhSi LII IuS llcilldll lulSSlOL.
When a Leader Gets Blue.
There came point in Pauls
Corinthian experience when he grew
greatly cast down. The blue devils OF
Encouragement beset him sorely. The
mood is more common among Chris
tian workers and men who are regard
ed as great leaders than the public
ever dreams. In the face of a great
usefulness, men are tempted often to
consider the worthwhileness of it all.
The Lord heartened Paul by vision,
giving him that old, old word of hope,
Il am with thee and assuring him
that even in wicked Corinth there were
many who named the Name. So it
proved Paul had to undergo perse.
cution at the hands of the Jews and
be hailed before the Roman proconsul
and to devote himself exclusively to
the Gentiles; but in spite of it all he
saw great triumphs for the Gospel in
that wicked city, as his two letters to
the Corinthian church reveal.
! There arose a community Of dis
ciples who became very dear to the
besetments and declensions they re
manned a power for the Kingdom. The
very situation of the city enabled them
to radiate their influence. far and
wide, Just as one may find in all parts
of Canada men and women who have
passed through Cookies church, Toron,
| to; or as one may meet in all the
cities of the country converts of the
McAuley Mission in Water, street
New York.