The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-25

(BY WILLIAM =. EI11S)
Two pictures are; fa1ggested sne old
er than the inscr1oe0 N90ke g Feas1 =.
In a picture Of humanity. Of Al colors
and conditions. in par1ult1 Of spir1tuai
peace. The details OF the ptctuxo are
more bewildering than Micnaet An
gelo's Last judgment They mciuoe
places" of Petra: the sactihcial mounds
of the American indians. the myriad
Undesirable idols OF India, the. state!y
temples at Niklko, and the ma3estic
shrine at Ise. in Japans the Aanna az
in Picking, and the wondroue ruins ct
old Karnak. in Egypt q tide OF Pill
prims. and a cloud Of incense are in the
background OF this picture. Red
splotches Of human sacrifice stain the
canvas. AS we look. the ereat pactuse
seems vocal with the oldest and sad
dest Of human walls. the cry or SOUS
seeking salvation. That ID the MS
tory Of the human religions; man
struggling toward God. NO great soul
can gaze upon the scene "ithous oeAne
profoundly moved.
The other picture is a contrast-the
great contrast. 1t is limned mostly
in the experiences of one character,
and its central scene is that character
on a cross. In the background we see
Him as a Good Shepherd, amid the
thorns of the dangerous mOuntatnside
at sunset. rescuing lost lamb that the
eagles will get IL He does not. We see
Him, too as a Good Physician. lavlsn-
ing his healing upon the thankless. AS
a gentle, patient Teacher, we penolo
Him unfolding to the multitude the
truth Of the new kingdom Of brother
hood. champion of the poor, the
humble. the outcast. we watch HIN
fling His life into the snarling teeth
of an antagonistic: self-righteous sys-
-
small and great. this second canvas re-
veals the stupendous and well n1gn
incredible spectacle of salvation seek
ing souls, God .yearning for man
Christianity's Unique Trait.
There, you have the one great dis
tinctive truth about Christianity. It
reveals God as seeking the lost. NO
longer IL the Supreme Being under
stood as a fierce and terrible Power,
to be prOpitiated and placated. Jesus
made clear that God is a Father, with
all Of a human fathers best qualities,
exalted and extended to the nth de-
gree. -
Brooding. yearning. inviting. seeking
that is the picture Of God which
Jesus painted. That conception has
worlds history. For What people
think about God IL the determining
factor in all human affairs. Across the
face OF the sky. deep in the mines Of
earth. men now read the wonderful
Christ-message. God loves you.'
with such a mighty truth as this
underlying the present Sunday school
lesson, no student should spend his
time in coming the mere details of
the parable. as. for instances, the fact
that the lost coin was worth 16 cents,
and that the Syrian home. with its
earthen floor. often had no window at
all. making the loss Of the coin easy.
So also. with details Of tho business of
the shepherd. Jesus told these two
stories without any intention that they
should be pursued curiously in all the
refinements of their meaning: He de-
signed only to illustrate. from the ia
miliar. every day experience Of his
hearers. the tremendous teaching that
God cares for the lost and will go the
limit to find them.
At the Base Of Democracy.
Tho background Of these lesson
stories was very human and interest
ing. The arigtocrAt0 pointed the fin
ger Of scorn at Jesus because he re-
ceived sinners. and even ate with
them. A first class snob IL always
most Of all Jealous about his social
standing. and unwilling to do anything
at all to compromise It. Some socially
ambitious persons are ashamed Of
their own humble parents Jesus.
however. was tho originator of DEM
ocracy, and he never looked at tho La
bel which society had pasted on q
man. He would AZ lief eat with a
publican ~ . phartsee. Whereat the
answered them BY this incomparable
cluster Of three parallels, the lost
sheep. the lost coin and tho lost son.
At the plinth Of things lies this
Chrigt-teaching Of the worthwhilenesl
Of every human soul. 1t is the only
basis for democracy. Equality OF life
equality OF opportunity. and equality
OF value Of every human being-these
are bedrock principles Of democracy
In . democracy no man can say, a
tude. .is accursed." Even Al
Jesus prized the outcast. 80 democrac,
prizes every baby. every boy ana girl
every laborer in mill ana mine. and
every sheep wandering from the fold
Of good citizenship.
More than q score OF years ago I
few baseball players. out for "a goot
time" sat ON Q Chicago curb. Nobody
needed them greatly: they were onll
''eports." The music of q gospel mis-
ed, ana that curbstone sport" tina
fli9hty hare-brained baseball player
in the mighty hand Of the God whit
seeks and saves the lost. became Bill!
Sunday, the greatest evangelist of tn
age. who has led two hundred thou
ssnd souls to public confession o
Christ, and who had made over To-
Righteousness whole cities. No mai
can know what win be the result o
a single reclamation Of q wanderini
soul.
This at least, IL sure: the churcl
which ceaseQ to go after sinners 4
thereby ceasing to po2sess the powe
to nurture saints. The Chrietianit.
which IL not actively seeking the los
is In danger Of losing Its own Savior.
IL . Revival Coming
Even the ecclesiAstic1, who are slow
est to discern spiritual tendencies ant
moods, perceive the present portent
of q revival Of religion. They are put
ting evangelism on their pFoerA1ns. AM
appointing committees and commits
sionD on the subject. A multitude o
yoicaa ara cAlliuG the Christian churcl