The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-23
5 7ZE5zzaS35MReHEss'

ipeace- From the organization for the
promotion Of child welfare to the
courts Of arbitral justice, they all look
/ cd toward the great Christ-goal of hui
man brotherhood. Where there is any
! expression of the love of man to man.
/ there shines the CLEAN of the Bethle-
I hem star The eleem osynary institu-
tiOns OF our time. from the juvenile
court to the door of hope for discharg-
/ ed prisoners, or from the soup kitchen
J TO the revival meeting. all express the
spirit of Christmas. 1t would be IN
fortunate II We should concentrate our
thought upon Bethlehem of Judea to
the exclusion of a realization of how
Bethlehem has come into our midst
today.
The Worlds Quest of Christmas.
Romantic as is the journey Of the
Wise Men to Bethlehem. it is not more
So than the present-day quest Of man
KIND Tor the new reign which Christ
mas represents. AS readers of this
column know, | have been upon the
trail of the worlds unrest to the re-
hottest corners of earth. For more
than year I have studied at close
range this marvellous present-day phe-
nomenOn. And what is the essence of
this multifOrm agitation and ferment
and discomfort, except 4 cropping after
the realization of those ideals which
were first proclaimed at Christmas
Even as the East, embodied by the
Magi. sought new king in the West,
so the Orient today is in eager quest
of new reign OF those ideals which
Jesus incarnated and preached: and
which are inadequately expressed by
the modern phrase, Liberty. equality
fraternity. Justice.
The world is restless under the do
m;Eion of selfshness. oppression. igno-
rance, poverty. and strife. 1t wants to
dwell in peace and in brotherhood,
with freedom to cultivate the fndi-
vidual man at his best It wants to
restore his crown to man. so that the
poor and the lowly may have the
chance which God designed for all.
For 10. the days are Fastening on.
BY prophets seen of old.
When with the -circling years,
Shall come the time foretold.
When the new heaven and earth shall !
The Prince Of Peace their King.
And the whole world shall send back /
the song
Which now the angels sing
Christmas Peace for All the World.
This would be a needless keeping of
C. hristmas which did not make recog-
milton of the glorious vision, newly
come 10 the peoples of earth that I
world peace is a practical political pos
sibility President Taft has sent an
electric thrill about the earth by his
proposals for treaties of arbitration be-
RGaCe
suddenly been lifted up into the realms
Of practical craftsmanship. It is no
onEer a theory for dreamers but a !
for the chancellories of the
great nations. Tt has the right Of way
n the worlds thinking: and the pres
ant generation Will probably see the
angels message more nearly realized
n the affairs of nations than our faith
ers thought possible for centuries to
.ome.
This is a good time to remind our
selves that whoever works for peace is
ioing the work of Christ This pro-
ram which now the statesmen discuss
mould be peculiarly the province of
he Christian Church. That she has s
aged so long is her reproach. Now I
Is high time TO get into the com '
ANY of the Christmas heraIds, and
'roclaim peace for all the earth
A Vision of Christmas Trees.
The memories of Christmas trees
hrong the musing mind at this season
here are the great forests Of ever
reens Vet uncut: the trainloads Of
rees in city freight-yards. weeks be- |
ore Christmas; the tinselled. decor :
ted trees of many happy homes: the [
wig of evergreen which the German Y
Xiles who toll amid the ruins of old e
-ssyria. along the Tigris River. pre- i
erVe from year to year-varied are z
he memories of Christmas trees one d
as seen
Be it remembered. however. that the
cal Christmas tree. the one truest to n
,pe. IS the tree that was planted. il
lirty three years after the Birth at
bethlehem upon a hill called GolgOtha
alvary-s tree represents the working
ut to an ultimate conclusion of the
hristmas ideal. There it stands. the :
ternal emblem of sacrifice 1t is God > !
ign Of giving. the self-surrendering
pirit Of Christmas.
on. don't You think that giving,
Is just the best of liVing2" y
arols the child about the house AT h
hristmastide
In the Calvary spirit. of self-cruci- I
xion for the sake of others Christ
las is kept indeed All around US are \
m and shame and Iovelessn ess; when
o give ourselves to the redemption of
lese. making life sweeter and hap
Ter for even the least of all the per
ms whom we may touch. and not :
drinking from the worst. VIC are keep =
g Christmas il. Christ's way
\ Christmas World. n
crse Comments for December "a on =
THE Gift That Transforms the -
World. II Corinthians 9:15; Luke
1:46-55 :
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS -
The world is shaking today. But it
taking up. not down. The agitation
I'd turmoil that fills the newspapers
18th its echoes. the unrest and reform
lat even the casual observer cannot a
zip seeing. no matter which way he