The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-16
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

tfEt IL 1'iittl
borders Of Asia. Ali this interest
should lie halioWed 10y the thought
that the Christ was born in the East,
and that the ultimate emancipation
OF the people i to come through
him.
This great truth may he further To-
cali7cd. The Very place Of the hlrth,
the little town Of Bethlehem, IS today
beset with unrest and problems be
cause the spirit Of the Christ has re
turned to his native land to impart
new aspirations and purposes. have
been haunted by the memory OF
upeping women Of Bethlehem, as they
saw their sons and daughters set out
for the ncW promised land Of Amer
lea. Syria's present procurement,
like that Of all Turkey, eiicits the
sympathy of every cosmopolitan
heart. AS we watch the warning
creeds and the struggle Of bigotry,
terror and corruption To maintain
their hold, We realize that only the
principles of Jesus can solve the
oriental problem.
Getting tho f'acte.
While muSing over the meaning OF
things, let us not fail to Get a clear
grip on the things themselves. Facts
come first: moraliZines AXE their
force from the facts. 1t would be
f llllttt CSIlIiS III hilON I0N 1t1 Tie IliLS-
minded public is able TO locate the
time and place and circumstances Of
1.-The supreme event of all time, the
birth Of Jesus. These details should
be clearly in every mind, and related
to the present events, so that the
: days news dispatches Will be illumi-
: mated by them.
bethlehem is a own iii Turkey. and
in that part of Turkey today called
Syria, bordering the eastern side Of
} the northern end Of the Mediter-
ranean. The seaport is Jaffa. whence
T u railroad runs to Jerusalem. The
/ little town of David, which is now
. noted for its workers in mother Of
pearl and olive wood. is but five miles
southwest of Jerusalem.
I No machinery is too important to
he created in order to accomplish
Q Gods purpose. Thus, the wheels OF
: the Roman government were set into
motion that Il carpenter up in NaZa.
e reth-Which is Il town in the hills OF
# northern Syria about half way be.
: tween the Mediterranean sea and tn,
G Lake Of Galilee-might bring his wifi,
= Mary down to her ancestral town o
bethlehem. there to be enrolled il
,e the Jewish fashion. They Travelled
IS just as the plain people of the Eas
IT travel today, with one donkey for tn,
r. W. VI tiitijl~ EotIIctiIleS the ma
c walks and sometimes the omar bu
.e in this case we may be sure tina
/ the patient little beast bore only tn,
Ie beautiful young bride.
They found the town overf1owtn,
p with travellers gathered for the sam
: purpose as themselves. Even the elias
: tic inn was full, SO that they had t
90 make for themselves a place in one Q
its limestone grottoes where the ami
~ Y12IC Tpi Thnrn <xya q No rroo,.i l..-J
ship IN this, for then. as now. tn
uo plain people of Syria were used {
az living in intimate relations with the
:. domestic animals. and, besides. tn
room would enjoy the warmth Of II
~ beasts bodies. Doubtless Joseph
h own donkey stood close by the spt
which the careful husband had II
served for Mary.
10 An Open Air Message.
is Within the inn there was the usu;
hustle and exchanging Of news OK,
IN the evening fires. Out in the field
even as today, the we
huddled about a little fire. in the
h ~abayehs. or cloaks. keeping wate
no over their flocks. The nights we,
ars cool, though the days might be war
even in December. Cool or war;
nd the shepherds We're out in the ope
ID keeping ward above their sheep. r
hit. the oriental is not so soft as h
nd western brother. and better unde
he stands how to endure.
N"ndrous still, wondrous beaut;f,
rty in the light of the soft Syrian star
My the little village lay. The people we
needless Of the great event occurri,
I'D IN their midst, but the hosts OF hea
SAL en- could not keep silence. so the 2
her toriisled shepherds found themselv
op- Graduated by celestial light, while
al angelic chorus brought to them t
re message Of Peace on earth. good "
TO men, and the news Of a SaviO
the King born III Bethlehem.
~ The great truth gave them spec
and these humble men, first bears
OF the new message that has OK
since been making over human r
ny ture. FASTENED to the village a
found all things as the angels h
- said. They told the wonder they h
ith witnessed. and which daily would
repeated about camp fires far a
near, for long years to come. It U