The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-20
HUMANITY RICHER
FOR TITANIC Loss
EXAMPLES OF HEROIC UNsELrIsH.
NESS ARE UPLIFTING TO
THE WORLD.
DR.. CALISCH breaches
DRAWS FINE LESSON FROM GREAT
MARINE DISASTER, SHOWING
WISDOM AND GOOD
NESS or GOD.

why were millions poured out for
luxuries, while hundreds were de-
nied?" was the question put by DIR.
Edward y. Calisch In sermon last
night at the Jewish synagogue. when
he used the sinking Of the Titanic
az his subject. The edifce was filled
10 hear the discourse.
There are thoe who viii Inquire"
he added. into the reason why
boat that so teemed with the APP
purtcnances OF pleasure. should have
been so lacking in the appliances OF
safety. My effort shall not be to seek
the physical cause of the disaster
at sea. but to ask the reason why,
in His wisdom and goodness. God
permitted these things to come to
pass.
Where were His guiding hand
when this proud ship sped on to de-
struction?
Man Courts Peril.
1T would be easy to answer by
saying that the calamity was the re-
greed. or Of his disobedience to the
laws OF nature, or his defiance OF
natural forces and phenomena
Doubtless this was particularly true
in this instance, judging from what
Is said OF the incident. But II Is
folly to say that man shall not peril
his safety in the pursuit Of his pro-
Eress. As long as he Is constituted
as he Is. he will seek progress in the
face of all danger, by land or sea.
in the air or In the bowels OF the
earth. He will cope with the forces
OF nature and seek to bend them to
Will hfn I'D
forts. Whenever he shall cease to do
this, this world of ours will resolve
itself into wildernesses and jungles
fit habitations OF the beast.
1T Is no answer to our question to
place the blame upon man. Sorrow
is too common a heritage OF us all
whether II come individually or In
" holesale, IS In this latest tragedy of
the sea And II comes too often in
ways that are not the result of our
carelessless or our ignorance, or OF
our greed Or our guilt, in ways that
are uttely beyond our power or our
prevention. There are tragedies, that
are, according to all the canons of
our reason and our conscience, so
plainly the acts OF God that We must
look for the reason Of them not in
human agencies but in divine ruling.
Why rs Suffering?
Il will go step further. If with
pitiless logic you seek to find the
human guilt behind each human
sorrow, or the human responsibility
behind each cataciysmic tragedy. then
II may be asked why, In His scheme
of things, does God permit men.
holding the lives and happiness of
their fellowmen in their hands, to be
thus careless OF their profound re-
sponsiibiities. Further. even when
guilt can be plainly placed. why do
the innocent suffer with the guilty?
Why indeed need there be suffering
at all2
Judaism teaches suffering Is not TO
be looked upon necessarily as penalty
or retribution. So far from its being
a sign of Gods dispieasure 1t IL no
less proof Of His love. 1t Is faith
erly solicitude for the welfare of His
children, We cannot always explain
the methods OF divine love working
beneath the shadow of any calamity.
But from all our experience, individ
ual and M the human race, we learn
that in Gods crucibie Of governm"
blessing Is distilled from pain and
misery and sorrow. Behind the CON
Trajectory phenomena of human life
divine wisdom and love are weaving
the multifold threads into a pattern
Of harmonious beauty and benign pu-r
pose. We need but to remember this
to bear our burdens with a finer cour-
age and a flrmer faith.
Humanity Is Richer
furthermore, sorrow is the disci !
pline of life we need most. Humani-
ty is richer for the wounds that tear
its heart az the earth Is richer for
the burrows that seam its breast We
need sorrow as we'll as JOY. 1t gives
to life power and dignity, without
which life would be poorer and mean
err In the catalogue of human drama. /
the Hamlets. the Lears and Othellos
stand higher. and greater and nearer
TO. the heart than the Comedies OF
Errors and the Merry Wives of Wind
sor. Even here. paradoxical as 1t
may sound, humanity IL richer FOR the
loss Of the Titanic. ] am not refer
ring to the world of material things,
but the finer world within the heart
The examples of heroic unselfishness.
the touching incidents OF devotion and
fidelity when loving hearts refused
to part. the courageous faithfulness
10 duty. breathes there soul in all
civilized lands that is not uplifted by
them, or beats there a heart that did
not thrill at the narration OF Them