The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-10-19
THE SIZE OF
THE WORLD
By Rev. William Spiegel
Of the Old First Church.
Cincinnati.

Just as the moon appears W ulHs'-
ent people to be OF various sizes, from
that OF dime to that OF washlub,
even physical qualities and quantities
OF this world and the other material
worlds OF the universe vary In their
apparent dimensions with the vary
ing capacities OF physical. mental and
ima ginative eyesight.
A given individuals world and all
there therein Is will always vary in ac'
cOrdance with that individuals subJec
tive proportions.
In very real and deep sense every
one builds his own world. Some build
1t exceedingly small and others. with
a better grasp OF the meaning OF life
build II big And ! would that we
might all have that broad conception
which not cnly means big world for
us, but the doing of big things In It
by ourselves. We all delight In the
matter 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 whe eby 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
itual. TO which would draw attention
Obviously, them our world varies In
size according to our knowledge. Any
thing that lies outside Of our knowl-
edge is evidently no part Of our con
sclous 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 a vast influence
upon our thoughts and life The great
er 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 it on a larger scale and fill
It with greater meaning.
Then, too our world grows with our
interests. This is even a closer rela-
tion than knowledge. implying care.
concern, participation. There are nee
essarlly large areas CT 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, ambt
tion and action; and world whose
absorbing interests are In material
things. however great its business and
however immense its wealth. Is es-
sentialy small and Insignificant The
sian 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 ana rellSloh
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 sympathiea
melt easily into the lives Of others and
Tins 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 oil
our country Whoever cuts another
human being out of his sympathy o'
so much narrows and impoverishes his
own world. and by as much as We
make our sympathles broad anC
tender we enlarge our world and make
It rich.
Finally let us ever remember VIII
the psamlst, "The earth Is the Lord
and the fullness thereof" That lift
it into divine relations and worth
From this point OF view we see tn
world falling fresh from the creative
hand of God. developing under nj
providence, redeemed by his grace ant
being rebuilt even in our day into
universal kingdom of BROTHERHOOD
and love We are co-workers witt
him and are now building this nev
and better world. however insignit
cant or dark In the light OF his plal
and presence, and this fills our worn
with divine purpose and grace.
Our world thus widens out until
4, lost in the full splendor OF God an
is great with his greatness.
Thus our world is little or big nc
cording TO our knowledge, interest
sympathy and faith, and by increa'
ing these we enlarge and enrich on
world. A big soul will build bi
world. One of large vision and wild
interests, or tender sympathies and
masterful faith cannot be shut up witt
IN the narrow confines OF personal sci
interest and littleness Of spirit bu
win ever build large and richie
world Then, too. a big world help
tremendously make Bis soul Ou
environment calls us out, as 1t wer'
SO that we stretch our powers
match its appeals. Soul and world thu
work together to widen each other OF
into larger relations. We should wor
at both ends of the problem, strlvin
to build a bigger world and grow
larger soul.
The Life Beautiful.
what is your life? II Is even