The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-21

Is tho KingdoA Coming:
The International Sunday School Les
SON for March Is Lessons oy tne
Way: Luke 13:1S-36s
raw WILLIAM r. ELLIS.)
ANYBODY who takes real brains to the
task Of reading the daily newspapers
and current periodicals and DOORS,
knows that the greatest theme under
nresent discussion Is. Where are we
Roiugc What il the meaning OF TINS
tremendous social upheavai? WIN the
worldwide unrest. with all its new
political, economic and social tneones:
lead TO chaos. or to a better order OF
humanity?'
All Of which is to say. rs the king
dom of heaven coming?' There ID a
wider, deeper interest in this question
than when Jesus himself Travelled on
foot over his little world. talking every
where about the kingdom. Our. own
new experiences lead US to comprehend
perhapa better than did our fathers,
how dominant was the kingdom note IN
the thought and teaching OF Jesus. HIS
goal was nothing less than a new ana
better order Of society(a Kingdom
wherein the ideals and sovereignty OF
God held sway.
There Ia not a political or social re-
former before the world today. neither
Lloyd George nor WOODROW Wilson,
VINO mss 20 COItPiCtO ess0
scheme for the betterment Of human
life as that which Jesus proclaimed
All that is wise or worthy In todays
social urge is but q coming 10 tneir
own Of the teachings OF Jesus. Fly
the blindness Of the person who can see
and practices Of Christ. and the up
heavals that are going forward before
orr ewes today. These are. Kingdom
coming times, beyond the compass OF
our minds.
BY Law or by Growth?
What a child wants, he wants right
away. Only the mature can wait pa
tiently for the fulfllment OF DESIRE
Wa are well advanced in our under
standing Of life before we begin 10
grasp the great truth OF the patience
Of God. .
our attitude toward social reforms. we
want them enacted into laws as soon
as we have sighted them. Inc AA.ess
theory must be rushed on to the etat-
ute books. Social reformers pn.neH
turn their backs ON the long experience
of the race. and demand that the very
newest idea Of the most radical tneorlst
shall be put into general practice at
once, whether that idea DC human
euRenics of a cattle-breeding type OF
anarchy in child life. masQuerading as
a new education method. Our light ana
easy disregard Of the principle OF nat
ural Growth has crowded our state laws
with immature legislation, our scnoois
with fads, and our literature with e4-
travagances that make the 1uolcious
grieve.
were launched by Jesus. In the utter
ances concerning the Kingdom OF 600;
which form the present SUNDAY scnoo.
lesson. he nkened Its grown 70 .na' " "
q mustard seed or to the spread OF
leaven in meal. 1t began small, put y
was to grow large. At first a re1ecteo
teaching in an obscure Roman prov
ince, of a man subsequently executeu
as criminal. 1t later became the
dominant power Of the world. To-Day
two-thirds of mankind are under nom.
inally Christian rule. The genius OF
the Kingdom 10 working out in new
world order. The best brains OF ear. -,
are TODAY engaged In promoting hu-
man welfare; which II to say they are
servants Of the kingdom.
Nobody who expects to hold any
rating as a thoughtful person nov
desp2ss the ma DAY . 81 sms and supercil-
ious skepticism Of IngersoA no longer
has any vogue. Everybody perceives
that the tree which today AFFORDS shei
ter ana fruit to the weary milMo .as,' =
Chrisf3an character OF the present So
cial f6form ie admitted. Jesus Is ac'
ciaimSd as the real leader of the hosts
of progress, and his songs sung IN po
litica1 conventions.
Leaving Out the Church.
A new note Is being sounded in the
present discussions Of the deeper ten
dency of our time. Most persons az
NIT that our day is Fundamentally rel
Rious Men and women are hungr.
for spiritual satisfactions. But ques
ton was raised in a recent importan
and suggestive symposium In TN
North American, Philadelphia, where
in leaders of thought made answer Il
the inquiry us a revival OF rel saDI
Judgment that something like a re
yival is either coming or else Is al
ready here. But, some discerning mel
oueried, els it not coming outside o
the church abdicated her religion
leadership? Is not the world runnini
ahead of her in spiritual perception
and progress? Are the new expires
sions and interpretations of the day
religious mood vocalized by otner
than the leaders of the church, tn
men who are supported by the churcl
and whose whole time belongs to tn
church?
time of Jesus The ecclesiastical lead
ers crucified him because he did no
conform to their encrusted method
and interpretations, but was Twin
voice Of vital truth-and truth Is eve
expanding and growing. like the KING
dom which is its custodian. Nor
than once in her long history. huma
thought and human service have out
run the church, and 1t has needed
cataclysm to bring the latter up to tn
times.
Very searching is this kingdor
idea. 1t penetrates the cOnsciences Q
all alert church officials and member
The kingdom IL ever growing, an
taking on new forms and charging II
approach to new conditions: Is tn
church? Consider how instinctivel
downtown churches. amid altere
neiRhborhood conditions, seek for a
endowment fund. in order to perpetu
ate the old order. If. as some cor