Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-15

The inhuman indifference of a man, who
has superfluous wealth. towards his fell
low-men.l who suffer. pinching want can
never escape the penalties of Gods vio-
lated law in this world nor in eternity.
Those are most solemn and significant
words of Christ, when depicting the
awards of the final Judgment, he says
to them on the left-hand, Depart from
me We cursed into everlasting fire, pre-
pared for the devil and his angels: For
was an hungered, and We gave me no
meat; was thirsty, and We gave me no
drink: + was a stranger, and We took
me not in; naked, and We clothed me
not; sick and in prison, and We visited
me not Inasmuch as we did 1T not
to one of the least of these my breth-
rem, We did it not to me-"
People who possess means and do not
lay their possessions .out in serving
their fellow men lose one of the great
est joys of earthly existence. When
one wastes money on himself. or on his
family, which might be devoted to re-
lieving the needy and blessing the
world, he fails to get "the worth of his
money; he diminishes the sum of his
own happiness and allows the distresses
of those whom he might have relieved
to increase What some young men
squander in injurious extravaganza to
their own undoing and unhappiness.
might open a useful career to other
boys who are struggling and hard
pressed. What must our heavenly Fa-
Their think of such inhuman waste7
In one of the ablest and most elevated
periodicals in America / read the other
day the following paragraph:
''Self-indulgence is cruelty to others.
For it always means the robbing of anOth-
er. The simple truth, even tnouga y
mans need unsupplied.' Every cent thar
you have ever spent upon yourself that aid
not need to be thus spent could have gone
TO relieve the sore want of some one else.
And every cent unnecessarily and luxurious
" spent In the lifetime Of any average
individual counts up into pretty sno.
having as much to give away as we
should like TO; and we love to think ana
talk about how much we should 40 Ior
others IL only had the means. greater
means are at hand, for most OF us, tnan
we have ever used. Not lack OF means
but lack of sacrificial love for others Is
the barrier to our more lavish helping OF
those in need. We shall give others what
they need when we stop giving ourselves
more than need"
These searching sentences probe. self
ishness to the bottom of the fostering
sin Yet some will say, If such pro-
gramme were universally adopted we
should have a world full of a dull, drab
Puritanism, out of which all beauty and
elegance and grace would ave depart
ed. leaving only a sad, sanctimonious
serviceableness behind. Nevertheless,
fancy a world Astounding in brotherll-
ness would not be altogether unbearable
even though 1t were less gay than the
world in which we now live. I am sure
there would be less strife between the
ovd 4Io. oIascaS than n0vv EXISTS
Rich men would know more of the pains
of the poor, and poor men would believe
more in the piety of the rich. We
would probably have fewer sumptuous
and sinful banquets, and more feasts or
love. Socialism and Communism
would no longer raise their
fierce, discordant voices Of disappoint-
ed greed; for all classes as brethren
would dwell together in unity. Peace
would be poured out upon them like the
precious ointment upon the head. that
ran down upon Aaron's beard. that went
down to the skirts of his garment" Ana
upon them the Lord would command his
blessing, even life forevermore.
I do believe Christs law of love is
feasible in the world which God made
to house family of brothers
We want no world of monotonous
equality and dreary individuals. To
bring the world to a universal level
would be to make "a dead level"-livfng
upon which all men would become dead
to brotherliness and dead to gratitude.
In world where all were equal there
would be no calls for service. and love
would die for lack of opportunity. We
want no such loveless world; but we
do want world in which men seek TO
bear one another's burdens. and so full
fill the law OF God