The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-20
The Real Christmas Spirit.
Terse Comments for December q. 1.-The
Christmas Spirit. and How 1t May
Prevail" lisa: 9:2-7.
(BY wILLIAM T. ELLIS.

Prevail" lisa: 1921.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
Christmas is more a spirit than a
season. The keeping of it depends less
upon the date-concernfng which the
oriental and the occidental churches
disagree-than upon an entrance into
its real meaning of harmony and heart
mess.
born anew, in a sense OF the nearness
of God and Of the sanity Of childhood.
there Christmas is kept indeed.
"Oh! don't you think that giving
Is Just the best of living.
When everybody thinks of all the rest?'
So run the lines Of a modern Christ
mas refrain, which is better preaching
than it Is poetry. The genius of this
members the great Gift, when God so
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son." Out of that peerless
giving spring all the lesser gifts OF
parents to children and Of friend to
friend. Christmas removes the center
of interest and service from ones self
to somebody else.
A new message was sounded to the
workingman, through their represen-
tatives the shepherds, on Christmas
Eve They were not forgotten. When
the king came to His own, the totlers
were the first to hear the news. Amid
| the lowly, IN the stable Of khan. Jesus
| was born to the trade of his father.
carpenter. Then began that social rev.
olution which has today put the man
who tolls into such a position Of power
i and honor.
This is the Gospel of Labor,
Ring It We bells of the kirk:
| For the Lord Of love,
| Came down from above,
F, To dwell with the men who work."
The business of war is surely being
outlawed. The peace on earth prom
1 Used at the first Christmas is being
f! realized. The new world spirit OF
i brotherhood has it's springs in the
manger The reign Of peace Is COM
i ing by the reign Of Christ. AS he is
| entroned in the ideals Of civilization
and in the hearts of men, he is bring
| ing in the glad day, prophesied by the
| Christmas angels, when all mems gooc
| should be every mans aim.
Not to take thought Of little children
at this season i. to miss the very
! spirit of Christmas. And there il q
child. or children. somewhere for ev-
erybody whose life is childless this
Christmas.
All of Himself that he could crowd
into mortal comprehension. God EN-
bodied in Jesus Christ. Would 20,
know what to think OF the Infinite
Then look upon the Saviour, who came
to us at Christmas.
! The throne of childhood is the man
ger at Bethlehem.
This is the era Of human welfare
| Parliaments and congresses and legis
latures everywhere are busy enactin,
laws for the promotion Of the well
being Of the common people Socia
service is the days keynote. The worl'
has set itself to extirpate whateve
/. hurts or destroys human happiness ant
health. Whence came this new i'm
pulse, which Is Transforming the earth
1t took its rise in Bethlehem TIL
leader Of this new crusade of chivalr
ie Jesus Christ. The better spirit O
this new day il the very spirit Of tn
Redeemer, born as one Of the plain PEG
ple to lift them all up to a higher life
He inaugurated the reign of good viii
The Christmas bells are all attune
to the note of love. They re-echo tn
Joyous truth that God Is love-" an
that all his thoughts toward us are Low
! thoughts The Christ who came q
Christmas is the Fathers supreme ex
. preston Of love for all his children.
SEVEN SENTENCE SERMONS.
! Little minds are tanned and subdue
: by misfortune but great minds ris
i above it.-washington Irving.
q To be angry il to revenge the fault