The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-10-19
THE SIZE OF
THE WORLD
By Rev. William Spiegei
Il ne on rirs Cksrch.
Cineiaasa.

worlds of the universe vary In their
apparent dimensions with the vary.
Ing capacities Of physical. mental and
imaginative eyesight.
A given individuals world and all
there therein Is will always vary In ac-
cordance with that individuals subjec-
tive proportions.
In a very real and deep sense every
one builds his own world. Some build
II exceedingly small and others. with
= better grasp of the meaning OF life.
build II big. And I would that we
might all have that broad conception
which not only means a big world for
us. but the doing of big things In II
by ourselves We all delight IN the
master minds that are doing the big
things IN the material world, and they
are truly great: but greater than these
wonderful feats OF engineering skill
which can tunnel the Hudson or dam
the Ohio are those other deeds by mas
ter minds whereby this world Is made
the better-the more nearly perfect
II is this aspect OF increasing the
size OF our world. the moral and spir.
ltual. TO which would draw attention
Obviously. then. our world varies In
size according to our knowledge. Any.
thing that lies outside OF our knovl-
edge is evidently no part OF our con-
scious world. We have widened the
boundaries OF the little world Of the
ancients and have accurately meas
ured and weighed IT,
We have found something of the
magnitude OF The other worlds of the
universe and compute distances In In.
terstellar space In years Of light We
locity. And this inconceivably big
world Of ours has q vast influence
upon our thoughts and life. The great
or our knowledge the bigger our
world: and the Christian especially
should keep his mind alert and alive
to this growing world and ever strive
to build II on a larger scale and all
II Nth greater meaning.
Then. too. our world grows with our
interests This IL even a closer rela-
ton than knowledge. implying care.
concern. participation. There are nee
essarily large areas of knowledge
which lie outside Of our interest. but
as interest lays hold Of US and con
trolls thought, motive and conduct our
world is large or small according to
the area of our interest. In this re-
spect people differ tremendously.
The interest Of great many people
In the material things Is so great that
II absorbs their whole thought. ambi
tion and action: and a world whose
absorbing interests are In material
things. however great Its business and
however immense its wealth. is es-
sentially small and Insignificant The
man In the big world is the one who Is
thoroughly Interested In his business
or profession. but whose interests also
reach out into the worlds OF science.
literature. art. politics. social progress.
education and religion.
Then again our world enlarges with
our sympathies. Sympathy is closer
still than interest. as It involves our
hearts. People who lack sympathy live
In a small barren world. but those
who have wide and warm sympathies
melt easily into the lives Of others and
thus enlarge and enrich their own
world. And In our sympathies we
ought to be bigger than the mere cir
Gle Of our own friends. our church or
our country. Whoever cuts another
human being out OF his sympathy by
SO much narrows and impoverishes his
own world. and by as much as we
make our sympathies broad and
tender we enlarge our world and make
II rich.
Finally let US ever remember with
the psalmist. "The earth Is the Lords
and the fuilness thereof" That lifts
II into divine relations and worth.
From this point of view We see the
world falling fresh from the creative
hand of God. developing under his
providence, redeemed by his grace and
being rebuilt even In our day. into Q
universal kingdom OF brotherhood
and love. We are co-workers with
him and are now building this new
and better world. however insignia
cant or dark, In the light OF his plan
and presence. and this fills our world
with divine purpose and grace.
Our world thus widens out until II
Is lost In the full splendor OF God and
is great with his greatness.
Thus our world is little or big. &C
cording 20 our knowledge, interest.
sympathy and faith. and by increas'
ing these we enlarge and enrich our
world. A big soul Will build big
world. One Of large vision and wide
interests. or tender sympathies and Q
masterfui faith cannot be shut up with
In the narrow confines OF personal self.
interest and littlehess OF spirit. but
will ever build large and richer
world. Then. too. big world helps
tremendously e make big soal Our
environment calls us out. as II were,
so that We stretch our powers 70
match It's appeals. Soul and world thus
work together to widen each other out
into larger relations. We should work
At both ends OF the problem. striving
10 build a bigger world and grow o
larger soul