Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1913-12-19
Christmas nOtiVe
"For unto us a child is born"

'For unto us child is born"
What is it all for, what is the meaning and
purpose of life? Why do men and women
toll and moil, strive and scheme, search and
scramble grasp and hoard? The fortune of
millions amassed during long years, at the
cost OF happiness and health; the attainment
through tireless years of planning and
scheming for high position and place of pow
er; the great industry built up and estab-
hshed by the expenditure of the very life
blood of many willing victims; great sys-
TENS of commerce, stupendous achievements
in building and engineering, scientific pro-
jects and discoveries, all the mighty works
wrought by human brain and Drawn in the
last analysis, what is the purpose, the real
and central purpose? The millions must be
left at last by the man who has gathered
them together; the position must be vacat-
ed and the power abdicated; builders of in
dustries and commercial systems, of rail-
roads, bridges and canals must at the last
leave their work. There can never be but
one answer to the question, What shall it
profit man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?" But the great works of
humanity are not for the purpose of saving
the workers soul and such a selfish purpose
as this is not adequate, could hardly furnish
an incentive for the works that men and
women devote themselves to.
Was not the mind of the prophet filed with
some such questions as these. when he fore
told the future of his people and visualized
for them the time when the nation had been
multiplied when there was great rejoicing
when the "rOd of the oppressor" was broken
and unto US a child is born In this last
statement there seems to lie the answer to the
question, what is the inner purpose of life?
When in the fullness of time the child,
Jesus, was born in Bethlehem of Judea and
Christmas had come to men it brought the
revelation of central purpose of human life
least, is typical of every child born unto men.
If, to follow the words of Isaiah, the great
prophet of Israel, the increase of beneficent
government and peace, and the everlasting
continuance of righteousness and justice, is
to be, it must be so increased and so contin-
ued by the children who are born unto men
and supreme and ever present purpose Of
human life is to prepare the way for the
child so train and nurture and equip him
that he may be fit and able to increase bene-
fcent conditions, put away suffering and
wretchedness and misery from human lives.
The more of such suffering the more of pri-
vation and hardship that may be vanquished
and put away, the more of happiness and
gladness may the child in his day bring into
human life.
The future of the race lies within the
bility of perpetuating the good that has been
accomplished and accomplishing further
good. Christmas exalts the child and reveals
his supreme Importance.
Where shall we look for the most august
the most important human figures of the
world? Shall we find them on the thrones of
the Kingdoms of the world in the places of
prestige and power or in the ranks of royal
ty or wealth? The central figures in the
world 1900 years ago were a mother and hel
child; history has shown that 1.-The import.
ance of the kings and princes of that day
dwindled into insignificance when compared
with the significance to the whole world OF
men, of that mother and child. The cen
tral figures in the world today are still the
mother and her child; wherever they may
be found, in the cottages of the poor or the
homes of affluence, these are the significant
and important personages.
That the world is awake to this fact, II
shown by the world wide efforts to secure
for every child the full measure of his rights
His right to be well born, to a peaceful
.healthful, happy childhood, to a proper ant
efficient training for the tasks and joys o.
life and to the highest and noblest ideals
and examples that may be set before him.
This then is the purpose Christmas bring
to life; purpose to make the world bette
place for men and women to live, to increas
its peace and happiness for and through tn
child. 1t is not a selfish purpose but it is
purpose sufficient as an incentive for tn
best and noblest work of which men an
women are capable.
1t is gratifying indeed to note that thi
purpose Christmas has brought is recognize
and adopted as purpose for the life activi
ties of so many. There never was tim
when the study of child life occupied tn
time and thought of so many and so intelli
gent a class of workers as at the present
never before time when so careful and per
sistent an effort was being made to surroun
the children with the best possible cond
tions, and give to them the greatest possibl
opportunity for their physical, intellectual
moral and spiritual development and growth
In the glow of that light that came anon
men with the birth of the babe of Bethle
hem there is revealed the mighty fact tina
humanity can only be exalted as childhoo
is exalted in the esteem and care of thos
among whom the children are and that tn
great and mighty works of a life can hav
no nobler higher purpose than to make tn
way clear, plain and safe for little child.
20 holy child of Bethlehem
Descend to US, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in;
Be born in us today!
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
o come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emanuel" =
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