The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-12-09
MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
HOW AND WHY THE GREAT FES'
TIVAL WAS INSTITUTED.
In Spirit Let Us Go and View the
Place Where Christ the Savior
Was Born.


AN infant of humble parentage. With
that child was born into the world a
new civilization, new Christianity,
a new hope. It matters little to our
rejoicing whether this Child was hui
man or divine-whether he was God
or Gods messenger Of love. Chris
tian oud infidel alike agree that the
life He led was pure and blameless
and the principles He taught have
blessed and sanctifled the world.
All over the country, all over the
world--a few years hence it will be
also all through the eair-sounds the
greeting Merry Christmas! On the
sea and land, to the palace and in
the hovel, in the hospitals and in
the prisons, in the asylums amid the
orphans and in the homes for the
friendless and for the aged, wher-
ever even two persons meet who
know and love the story of Christ
mas, the greeting Is exchanged.
Where can there be a parallel ITO
the universal greeting? Is there any
other sentiment that has the sover-
eighty of this cheerful and heartfelt
word? It travels through the mails
like nothing so much as the doves to
the affairs Of which the Scripture
speaks, for surely the sentiment fits
from altar to altar Of the hearts Of
men and Is as gentle as the Cove.
Grudges and animosity vanish be-
fore the waiting of Christmas greet
ing, the smile of hope illumines the
countenances Of those under the pail
of depression, the dimpled cheeks of
the babies seem like veritable hooks
for fairy hiding an the lips coo In re-
sponse to the Merry Christmas, with
the little emblem Of the day that
comes to the infant. from Its loving
parent.
In the days Of romance hostile
forces passed upon the field. sheathed
their swords and clasped hands
across the battle line. greeting one
another with the sentiment Of uni
versal good will. Brotherly love was
the one original concept. Of the man
whose birthday we celebrate at the
winter solstice. Z
He discovered no new law Of ma
ture; he formulated no new princi-
pie Of philosophy. He added nothing
to science, nor did he reveal the
least mystery OF the unseen world.
When In the bitterness Of his cruel
death he reproached the Almighty
with deserting him, science, philos-
ophy and theology stood exactly
where they were on that starry mid
right thirty-three years before, when
heaven opened before the eyes Of the
wondering shepherds and shining an
gels proclaimed his birth: '' -
:.9But. one thing was not the same,
and that thing was enough to make
all difference between the ancient
world and the modern. No Con-
fucius with all his golden rule had
ever, dreamed OF It.. No socrates had
dragged it from the depths In the
net of his dialectic. No stole pom
derings on the secret Of the highest
good had conceived It. OF nll the
crucIfied saviors of the world not one
had revealed 1t. ~.
The shepherd OF Galllee alone OF
all the human race perceived that
men are brothers. In the solitudes
OF the Syrian desert with struggles
which the Imagination can only typi-
fy AS fought soul against soul with
the living principle OF incarnate evil,
he wrested the truth from the secret
archives of the Almighty. Despised
and rejected by the men he loved,
hungry and unfed and unyisited, he
taught the truth by word and deed.
Nailed to the cross, he proved 1t by
his death.
At this season OF the year. the
Christian world reverently turns to
the little town Of Bethlehem and
lovingly recalls the story Of the
Savior's birth as set forth In the
simple yet beautiful language Of the
gospel narrative. In spirit lse US go
over to Bethlehem and view the place
where Christ the Lord was born.
. Bethlehem is situated about six
miles south Of Jerusalem. Starting
from Jerusalem by the Jaffa gate, the
journey is over rough and billy
country road amid scenes that awak-
On in the mind reverent memories
and fill the soul with loving emo
tions. On the west is the Gihon val
ley, where Solomon was crowned and
on the southeast Is the valley of
Hinnom, where nearby, In the field
of Pephai, King David defeated the
Philistines.
But a short distance from King
Davids we'll Bethlehem greets the
eye. There on a high hill 1t stands,
with it's closely clustered houses OF
white stone, It's massive walls and
towers looming forth in the bright
ness Of the morning sun.