New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1912-12-21

by viv1sectionl Dare we say,
Peace, Good Will, in the presence
Of theseY
Yet we cali ourselves civilized,
enlightened and because you and
| (let us assure it is true) do
not directly encourage, or take
part in, or share in the profits Of
these enormities, we-aye, with
hardly one absolutely sincere ex-
ception in million-we say, or
we think, or act, Lord, ! thank
Thee, | am not as other men, ex-
tortioners, unjust, or even as this
publican.
Can we then say as a race or
nation, can we even say as in
dividuals, that we have taken the
Christmas message to heart and
made it a part of our life, Yet
the very fact that we do feel the
Christmas thrill Of JOY for one
brief moment of time has its sig
nificance and its promise. In
spite of the facts Of life, it is
sign and symbol of what does lie
in our hearts, however covered
over and forgotten.
Let us ask further then. What
is its significance and originY Is
it a message of Christendom only,
or does it spring from some far
more ancient, some primeyal
sourcef Was the event of some
two thousand years ago,the birth
of a child, destined to be Savior.
Of men, whose name and worship
was to sway the destiny OF the
world merely an historical event,
however stupendous its signifi-
cance, or was it the recurring
symbol born from the primeval,
divine heart Of the Universe, and
therefore not less, but more
stupendous, more Sublime by far Z
When we study the legends, the
traditions, and the sacred writ
ings Of antiquity and find the
same symbolic drama universally
enacted; the same story, in its es-
sentialls, universally told; we can
come to no other conclusion than
this that the story Of Jesus was
the story Of the re-enactment OF
the world drama, and that the
world has had a long succession
of Savoirs. each coming at the
appointed time, and with the
same message Long ages before
the Christian era, the same festl-
val was celebrated Of the birth
of 4 divine child, born Of virgin,
whose name even, in almost every
case, was the same as that Of the
mother Of Jesus and with the
same significance. Egypt, India,
China, Persia, Scandinavia,
Greece, Mexico, all these had
their Divine Teachers, Savoirs,
proclaiming tho same message,
giving the same teachings, point
ing the same way, the one way
from darkness to light.
And It is not by chance that we
celebrate this festival at this sea-
SON Of the year, albeit there is no
historical warrant for it in the
case Of Jesus. The sun in its
yearly course through the heav-
ems Axes the date, and gives the
key to It's meaning. It is for this
reason that our hearts feel for .
moment the peculiar thrill and
glow Of good will and peace OF
Christmastide: it is because this
festival has warranty in the essrn-
Il order Of the Universe, in the
very nature Of man, and in the
life-history Of humanity which il
the life-history Of ourselves.
Were we to look only at the
outer picture Of the world, We
might well be appalled,, we might
well proclaim the message Of peace
and rood will q failure and .
mockery; but there is an inner
fact IN human nature, forgotten,
set st naught profaned, defiled
and denied, yet unconquerable re.
asserting itself though rebuffed
ten million times. Il il this fact,
the centrsi, most stupendous facs
anId reality in life, that at the very
heart Of things ID Divinity Itself,
ahat 1T the very core and root
of our being y the Divine Es-
sence, Immortal, Interchangeable,
Sun-briQht, Glorious, Pure: it Is
thh fact that all unknowing we
relebrate on Christmas morning
i i this gracious fact, that oil
unknown u ourselves, prevents
s. from the suicide Of utter des.
pair when We face the awful pic
ture 81 the worlds injustice, suf-
fering, and conflict.
o. Christmas morning, for one
brief lnomsnt of time, the spheres
81 neht and darkness touch ~
s.<v,.,.e h.nxt 4hnsaOh ~ IL I'll