Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1911-07-20
God of
FASHION
By Rev. George r. Lockwood
Pastor of Gienolden Congregational
Church, P~hiladelphia.

- IL q du6C IuIuS IudL AuMdulIy
can't seem to get along without idols.
There has never been a period in the
worlds history that humanity has moi
w~orshiped some sort of idols. Y0u
can't read the Old Testament without
having your hear panied; when you
see how Israel was continually turn
ing away from God, and placing some
thing in their hearts that ought to
have been occupied by God himself.
Well, now exactly the same thing has
been true in every age and amongst
every people. There Is a strong ten
dency in the mind and heart of hui
manity to reach out and lay hold upon
something and put it in the place
that belongs only to God.
The first strange god that is
amongst us is the Fashion This
whole subject of dress is a very inter-
esting n l always claim that it
takes more brains to build a dress
than it takes to build a house-and it
takes brains to bud a house. What
| mean by that is, it takes brains to
build a dress that, in a certain sense
BELTS the Individual that is being
clothed. It doesn't take any brains to
reach your arm across to Paris and
lug over here some fashion across the
water-anybOdy can do that. But
there are comparatively few people
who seem to have the happy faculty of
building a dress that just meets their
W individuality. Such a cess as
just fits o in every sense of the
word-a dress that is the expression
Of your own mind and your WI soul
that is an exceedingly hard thing.
What Is the result of this thraldom
that Is in our midst this present day?
There is a decentralization and a de-
moralization that is going IN in our
American life: it is enough to pain
anybody deeply. 1 can't quite under
stand why America should reach
across the ocean and bring her fash
ion from Paris.
If there is one city on the face of
Gods earth that is any lower down in
perdition than another, it is Paris.
And why should we be enslaved to
Paris for our fashion? In every other
respect we claim to stand on our own
feet; why can't America stand Oh her
own feet when It comes to the subject
of dress? 1t seems to me there are
brains enough IN this country to ere
ate a fashion for ourselves and to
break loose from the slavery of a for
eign country.
But that is not the sad part Of it all.
I wonder if you realize the terrible
extravaganza that is associated with
this q phase ofrour American life2
l wonder If you can bring before YOUR
that are simply wrecked; or, picture.
the hearts that are broken because OF
this terrible slavery, namely-the
| slavery of America to this god OF
fashion,"
Let me illustrate. Here Is a girl
she is brought up in a comparatively
poor home; she has not had any ex-
| perience in holding money in her own
hands; she marries a comparatively
poor young man, and they go and start
a home for themselves. When he
comes back from his first week, he
puts his wages in her hands. She has
had nc experience in the use of mon
ey: and what does she do? Almost tho
first thing she Toes is to rush out into
a great city, lose herself in one OF
these big stores and, instead of bring
ing home something that is going 20
make the whole atmosphere of that
house rich and beautiful she bril- SIS
home something; that is absolutely
worthless to herself.
She spent her money foolishly, and
because the money is simply thrown
away the home is wrecked and heartY
are broken.e
The second strange god to which l
desire to call your attention is the
idol Of education" What is the ideal
education? Some people say it is
knowledge; some say it is success;
others say character and personality.
In the eyes of a great many people
education is tina. which fits one 20
make success in terms of money; but
that is not my own ideal Of education.
1t is that which Its us to serve our
God and to serve our humanity, and
anything that units us for the service
of God and humaf.ity-call it by any
name you will, but don't call it edu-
cation.
One of the perils of the east today
is that education is being translated
in terms of dollars and cents, instead
of in terms of character and personal
ity. What is one of the secrets Of
the great success of the west? It is
education, and education Of the right
sort, too.
The third strange god that l want
to speak about is the god of "amuse-
ment." Amusement is a good thing;
it is a safety valve. l don't know
what we would do with our nervous
temperament, here in America, If it
were not for amusements. l love to
see people enjoy themselves, especial
ly after a strenuous week of hard
work. But amusements ought never
to be an end; it ought always to be a
means to an end, and that end must fit
into the purpose of God and the well
fare of mankind.