The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-11-22

or somewhere else, he must be some
body, but I tell you he's just what Je-
sus makes him, plus you.
This idea that our ministry must go
scientifically through the gamut of
doubt and dogma of higher criticism
and thinly disguise infidehty, must de-
undermine the faith in the Word OF
God before it builds a shrine to ration
ism and reason didn't originate with
our people, and l hope it may find no
entertainment in our thought.
It's no sign of progress that the
pew demands and the ministry sup
plies such a product. There is on
Gospel, one Saviour of men, the In,
carnate, Immaculate God, made flesh
and dwelt among us. There's one
true ministry God called to teach what
ever He commanded, other messages
are s%uperuuous, spurious, unavailing.
This true ministry need not thrive one
at the expense of the other, need not
be exalted n to the derogation of
the other, need rot be qualified by
adjectives of comparison. God is the
final determining factor. Paul plants,
Apollos waters-but God giveth the
increase.
And this Gospel proclamation needs
a voice. You have a conception and
you voice that. l have a conception
and I voice that. 1t needs a repre-
sentation in color, a picture, a like
ness. You have your mental picture
and I mine. Your means something
to you, mine something to me. Yours
is interesting to me because it shows
me your conception. Mine to you
for the same reason. But who could
ever do justice to a likeness Of Christ?
An artist might conceive the body in
this pose or that, but could anybody
artist or not, know that soul? He
might conceive an expression at tn
Supper, on Mt. of Temptation, bear
ing a cross, before Plate, on Calvar
but he couldn't get these all in one
picture. Yet they would be expires
sions which were outward ones O.
great soul. I used this word eco
all pictures Of Christ are "concep-
tons" They have no historical val.
ue, only artistic value. The Jews had
no likness, no images, because Of the
second commandment, hence none
came down to us. All pictures have
been made since, and having no origi
nal to copy, they are Just ~"concep.
tions," nothing more! It may be
Hoffman's, it may be Munkassy's, il
may be Tanners, but whatever it be
named 1t is a convention" Now these
conceptions are lrst in the artist, then
on the canvas. First, it lives, breathe
on the canvas. First 1t lives
breathes. pulsates, is a reality, then
translated. 1t becomes dead, still, life
less, ~pulseless. My convention Of
God, of Jesus, of ANGELS. is different
from that of others. because I am a
different man. Iesee Jesus as no
body else sees him or can see him
My personal experiences, my personal
needs, nv personality, makes Him all
over, '~'recreates," ~reconceives Him,
brings Him within my GRASP, my com.
~prehension. I know Him. who helps
who svmpathizes, who STRENGTHENS, a
spiritual convention, a spiritual com.
munion and visitation.
When I make Him objective, visual
external, work ont my Jesus on can
vas. or paper with brush or pencil
NAV I not color Him without as I dc
within? Whv should I make HIM
white instead of brown? Why should
my angels not be like unto myself
Truth to tell the angels Of nv future
are the angels Of NV mast and of nv
present: wife and children, mother
father, sister, brother, preacher, teach
or, friends their faces are familiar
their sincerity and h~elrfulness proved
their interest rnfpi1ing: they are al
ready crowned with a halo Of glorv
7 wouldn't know them II thew were
changed. thew would DO STRANGE, I'm,
Hike themselves. unfamiliar. No no
7 an maxine nv heaven as 7 eo, neo
Ming It with those I love ard those
who love me black men and women
and Children and why not7
Isn't It true now as ALWAYS that the
holy mothers r giving us saviors Of
the race? Yes, the surroundings as
humble as those Of the NATIVITY, thei'
circumstances as poor as those Of
Mary and Joeenh. What of that
SURROUNDINGS are imma'erial, circum
stances of no moment. the divinity is
in man. in nothing else savn as he
imparts it. Not all the "Madonnas >
the Holv Mothers are Jews. Fa'
from it, T hey have theirs, ard
don't hegrudee them. Put we have
ours and I am thankful for it! II the
greatest tribute we ear paw them is
tn paint q beautiful likeness, let's dc
that-whether we do or not the race
must wait upon them. Our leaders