The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-03-24
SAYS RICH HOME
PRESENTS TOO
few CONTRASTS
Sameness Produces Men and
Women Not Of First Rank,
Declares Pastor Smith
BACKGROUND OF HIGH
AND HOLY IDEAL NEEDED
Christian Faith Supplies This
and Monotony Fees,
Minister Asserts

1.-THE background OF life" was the
subject OF the Rev. H. Lester Smiths
MONDAY Lenten address In the De-
troit opera house. Tuesday. Some ex-
tracts follow.
1.-THE hunger for something new.
something different IL an essential
characteristic Of humanity.
"One Of the hardest things to en-
dure with patience IL monotony. The
deadliness of it, everlasting sameness
puts us ON edge and jangles our
nerves all out Of tune.
I'VE need the shock of contracting
experiences to keep our mental and
moral life In full vigor.
"What the change Of seasons does
for the body, In keeping It In vigor
and health. the changing KALEIDOSCOPE
| 10 experiences of life do for the mind
and the soul. The one season eli.
mates cannot compete with the tenn
perate zones for vigor and virility Of
physical life. nor can the sheltered
and protracted sphere Of existence
produce character OF supreme
strength and power. The reason why
the homes Of the rich and the wellto-
do produce so few men and women
Of 6rst rank In mental and spiritual
power Is because as q general thing
their lives have no perspective, no
contrast. Everything Is too easy.
One day IL much like another. and
every day Is very comfortable and
pleasant. without anything of start
ing nature. The consequence II that
you have a condition that is exceed
ingly fruitful of weakness and sin.
Without the background of high and
noble purpose, life is too common
place to be interesting, without the
background Of q high and holy ideal.
life Ia too earthly and mean to be in
spring.
Immediately the devil insinuates
In their mind the contrast of excite
ment and pleasure which the uncon-
tr0lled and unconfined life will bring.
Thus many are led astray into sad
disaster, not because they have any
special desire for the life to which
they give themselves, but because
they are attracted by the idea OF
something different and lacking sum
cient motive to keep them in the
paths of rectitude and integrity they
swing out into the wild life of license
and lawlessness.
1.-THE remedy Is two-fold. We need
to realize that such q view of life IL
| q false one. We have foreshortened
our perspective. We have cut out OF
our range OF vision entirely the back.
ground OF pain and suffering that In
evitably follows the Sin. and 30 have
eliminated q powerful factor In help
ing W to avoid q life of sin. When
we look at the life Of pleasure and
self-indulgence which seems to be
such brilliant and desirable contrast
to onr rather dull and drab colored
life we must take long look into
the future and see the real end of
such q life.
But this OF itself will not suffice.
We must have more than deterrent
motive. We must have great pos
tive. powerful influence that can
somehow transform our lives.
1.-The Christian faith offers you
euch q motive. Lift Jesus Christ and
his ideal for your life to q place OF
supreme power and influence In your
heart. Have Jesus Christ and his
ideal as the background OF the entire
life. Relate everything In the fore
ground to that ideal. Make every
thing harmonise with It. Allow 1t to
give value and worth and character to
even the minutiae Of your daily ex-
porience. Seek 70 realize that moth
ing 10 common. That every common
bush II aname with God and every
common experience II saturated With
his divine life and purpose That
everything has higher meaning than
that which Is Immediately found In Il.
because 1t 10 related to this divine
ideal for life.
with such q background for your
life, every day and every day expert
ence will have such wealth OF mean.
Ing and such q richness Of influence
that nothing can be regarded az COM
monplace, but all will be divine