Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-09-04
Reverence Is Something Which
DweIIs in the Heart, and Is
Not of Material Things.

A burning bush in the desert, and
God was there; the court of Solomon's
temple, and God was there; cave on
the rock-ribbed mountain, and God was
there; the plains of Bethlehem, and
God was there; the caravan track from
Jerusalem to Damascus, and God was
there; the stone quarries Of the Isle OF
Patmos, and God was there!
Reverence is not thing of time or
place; it is not inseparably connected
with a day or an hour, isolated from
the rest Of the calendar; it is not to be
discovered only in building set apart
from the other buildings. Reverence
Is an attitude of mind, a state of heart,
q sensitiveness of soul to whatever is
sacred, to whatever speaks Of God.
Undoubtedly there are times and
places closely associated with moods
and acts of worship but the reverence
lnheres in the disposition Of the person
who worships.
Expressions of Reverence.
To have a nature that is quickly re-
sponsive to the presence of God Is the
first and major part Of reverence; to
act becomingly is the second part. The
first is the same everywhere; the Sec
ond varies in its form with latitude
and longitude. Whether to remove
the shoes or the hat, to stand or
kneel, to speak or be silent, is a mat
ter of country and custom. Each must
express his reverence in his own way.
The soul that feels God-in the glow
of the sunset, in the stately splendor
of a great church, in the words OF the
Bible, in the helplessness of little chill
dren, in the flowers, in the severe SIM
plicities of Puritan morality, in the lit
anies of conventional worship, in the
heroisms of self-sacrificing men, in the
love of pure and generous hearts, IN
the mighty movements OF national
progress-the soul that feels God and
responds, is the soul that is reverent
Do not be ashamed of it, do not re
press or hide or smother it, do not
freeze it into the forms OF passing
fashion. Such moments of exaltation
such STRINGS Of pure emotion, are
what constitute the wealth of the
souls life; without them we shall
grow coarse or sterile-lightless mus
cleless, hopeless.
Truth That Thrills.
The birds-say it out bravely and
naturally as Jesus did-my Father
feeds them; the lilies, my Father
clothes them; the temple, my Fathers
house-why disguise or evade it? The
thrill comes, the spirit quivers with an
awakening wonder, deep calleth unto
deep, the ecstasy Of spiritual discov'
cry fills the heart; and it is ours, as
truly as anything the palate tastes, the
eyes see or the hands touch. Let US
be natural in spiritual things.
There are times when 1t seems as il
God could not speak to the mind; the
prejudice and pride Of partial knowl
edge stand in the way Of receiving a
divine revelation. But II there is one
spot that is always sensitive, tender
to the slightest impression and listen
ing for the faintest accent, then God
will make himself known. Thus we
shall find the true meaning Of our 9TH
erwise unintelligible lives.
The Everlasting Father Is trying to
communicate with us through many
channels; reverence Is simply our
readiness to receive the message in
whatever form it may come.
"Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
R,,t only he who sees takes off his shoes"