Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-28
CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL q
INTENTIONALLY
By WILLIAM n. RANDtN.

~ aAN
The conventional thing is that
which is done by tacit, common con-
sent, and grows out of long estab-
lished custom. Frequently, in the
beginning, there was good reason for
doing 1t, and doing it in a certain
way. Just as frequently, long after
the reason for doing t has ceased to
exist, it is kept up, partly as a mat
ter of habit. partly because most
people are not original enough to
refrain from doing what others are
doing, for fear of becoming conspic-
uous.
There are many conventionalities
that are worth maintaining, simply
because the reason for their estab-
lishment and maintenance still holds
good-if there were no customary
way of doing such things, we should
have to invent one, for our own
peace of mind. But there are some
conventional things which are who'll
ly unreasonable, some ever HARM
full, against which the faces of
thoughtful people should be set as
flint.
We are now passing through a
period OF the year when many peo-
pie actually suffer, simply because
they are not brave enough to throw
of the shackles Of a silly and mean
ingless custom. There is not the
slightest scriptural support for the
custom of exchanging gifts at Christ
mas, there Is not in the whole range
Of revelation the slightest suggestion
for celebrating the birth of Jesus of
Nazareth In such a fashion. There
Is absolutely nothing Christian in it
from A to q. 1t Is purely a pagan
custom, according to which our Teu-
ton ancestors exchanged gifts at the
feast of the winter solstice, which
several centuries after the birth of
Christ was grated on the celebra-
ton OF the latter, both occurring at
about the same season of the yea
Against the custom as such there
Is no criticism to be offered, except
that it is in no way any celebration
of Christmas, except by custom. But
when the custom has become an in
tolerable burden to many, 1t is time
to call a halt and take account of
stock. The first thought to get
firmly lodged in the mind Is that one
may truly celebrate Christmas If not
a single present is given or received,
for this custom has nothing to do
with Christmas. The second thought
Is that If anybody is kind enough at
Christmas or at any other time of
the year to make one a present, all
that courtesy and friendship de-
mands Is an expression of a%pprecia-
ton and thanks, nothing more.
The greatest joy OF possessing
| 4. 80 H. -~.O 1o@ &La~
somebody else, Is not in enjoying
selfshly what ones wealth may be
able to procure, but in sharing un
selfishly with others hat with which
one may be blessed. 1t is always
more blessed to give than to receive,
a blessedness which everybody, no
matter how poor, may experience,
by sharing with somebody who may
have even less than you the little
that you may have. 1t is this kind
Of giving, the giving of self, tina,
breathes and preserves the spirit of
Christmas, In that it celebrates the
birth Of the greatest gift that nan
kind has received.
Our own city has witnessed the
birth Of one association as a pro-
test against Christmas conventional
tiles. There Is another with a still
larger membership, called the Sepsi-
BILE Christmas League, which still
more broadly applies the principles
involved. The pledge it exacts OF
It's members runs as follows: 81 will
he brave enough to give only where
love and sympathy and h~elpfulness
make giving worth while. I will not
turn Christmas day into a day OF
barter and exchange. l will make
those whom I love and who love
happy. and bring joy, as far as I
am able, to those who otherwise
would have no joy-to the poor. the
lonely, the Ill, the old, the friend
| less and the helpless"
Look at the "prices or things as