The Colorado statesman., 1912-03-02
A UTOPIAN
PRAYER
"A Sermon


done In earth, as 1t is In heaven
Matt. 6:10.
We are in the habit of ridiculing
Utopia and the Utopians. If we take
visionaries and dreamers at all seri-
ously, we are inclined to regard them
only with patronizing pity. They are
so impractical, they are ahead of their
times and they are neither safe nor
sane. They will do for the future and
for the millennium, but they will not
do now. But, alas, for our consist
ency, for most of us are earepeatedly Of
fering the most Utopian prayer that
has ever been spoken by human lips,
and this is that prayer: THY king
dom come. Thy will be done in earth,
as 1t is in heaven" Let us ask our
selves two questions: First, what does
this prayer mean? Second, what are
we going to do about It?
First, what does this prayer mean?
l take it that the prayer means lit
orally what it says. 1t means literal
ly THY kingdom come. Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven" That
is to say, 1t means that men and wom-
en-, just plain mortals, shall do Gods
will here on earth as Gods will is
done by angels in heaven. 1t means
that Gods will shall be done in the
home, in the theater, in the store, in
the counting house, in Wall street, in
office, in factory, in legislative cham
bers and in government. 1t is pray
er that we may on earth see human
~, ,,rI1
of God. 1t Is a prayer that Gods will
shall be done in the heart of each indi-
vidual and in every sphere of human
activity, and that there shall be the
same love, the same cooperation, the
same spirit of helpfulness, the same
beauty and JOY and sweetness and
light among men on earth as there is
among the angels of heaven.
Is such a thought as this wild, Wis
ionary, Utopian? | do not know. |
simply know what the Lords Prayer
says. and | know, too, that If Gods
will is to be done in earth as 1t is in
heaven, there will have to be some
very radical changes made in the
church, in business, in politics, In
government and in industry. We may
as well face the fact the prayer is al
together Utopian. And if we offer that
prayer genuinely from the heart, with
a sincere desire to have it answered,
We. too, become Utopians, Missionaries,
dreamers, seekers after an impractical
ideal, unsafe and insane, according to
the common judgment of the world.
Second, what are we going to do
6 sb6gt 4 & Msts!se iys. We Should sup
pose that those of us who are so fire.
quently offering this Utopian prayer
ought to practice what we pray by do
ing Gods will ourselves and by work
ing for the actual realization of Gods
kingdom on earth. Unhappily, many
who are today praying that Gods will
be done in earth as 1t is in heaven
will tomorrow plunge greedily and sell
fishly into the worlds work as though
Gods will had absolutely nothing to
do with politics, finance, business or
industry. But the Lords Prayer Is
not merely for Sunday use; 1t is for
daily use. And in order that this Utp-
plan prayer may be answered and its
lofty ideal realized we who offer the
prayer must ourselves do Gods will in
our daily work. The workman must
do his best work. The merchant must
do an honest business. The manufac-
turer must treat his employees right.
All must learn that they are serving
others and not simply squeezing
money out of people. For it is Gods
will that we shall all work together,
cooperate with each other and minis
ter to each others needs, as children
of God, as one great human brother
hood.
AS individuals we must do Gods
will, but we must also reconstruct the
social order, If Gods will is to be done
in earth as 1t is in heaven. We are
called to render social service. We
must put away those evils and unjust
conditions that needlessly destroy hu-
man life and that crush and stunt the
souls of men. We have done some
thing along this line: some of us have
been working bravely and we'll, and
more and more there is an added en-
phasis on the need of social better
ment But, after all, what we are real
ly doing is little indeed. We bestow
little charity here and there, and we
are satisfied. We are tinkerlng timid
ly at the job of reform when we ought
to be going at the work resolutsly and
fearlessly. with expert knowledge at
our command, and with zeal to work
with God in establishing that for which
Christians-and others-have been
praying these many centuries: Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in
aarth aa II ia I'm haaVan " Wa arc
putting bits of patches of new cloth on
old garments. We are dealing too gin
gerly with the vital problems of our
times; we are not, as Christian peo-
pie. getting down to the things that