The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-25

I up the broken blade and with It won
a glorious victory in that same battle
Some think that the master in this
story dealt too sharply with the dere-
lict servant. Our mood nowadays 1s
one of sentimentality. which would
rather send flowers to convicted muir
derers than to send them to the gall
lows. Joseph Parker has q wise word
on this theme:
when Jesus spoke q severe word,
the severity came out Of the truth of
its application. Is 1t not harsh thing
to call a man q liar? Not IL he be
false. Is it not very unsocial to de-
scribe any man as hypocxite? Not
wickedness Of calling men names? In
the misappltcation OF the epithets. 1t
is wicked to call q man true II we
know him to be untrue. There Is an
immoral courtesy: there is a righteous
reproach. We do not use harsh words
when we tell n.en what they really
are"
Wanted-More Great Men.
Observers not a few are bewailing
the lack Of great men in our time.
One clear answer to this Is that not
enough are in the school Of greatness.
which is called fidelity. Greatness is
not an accclade. laid on by the stroke
H.
and more persons have potentially
for it than ever they realize. Most of
us could do great things II we were
in the habit Of growing in our present
tasks; but we prefer to do little things
in little way. We covet safety rather
than strength. The average man is
looking for a sure salary rather than
for a worthy task. Besides, we too
often want to go fishing or to 70 to
the movies" or to the baseball game !;
when the spirit Of greatness would
bid us stick to the task. The reward
Of work well done is more work to do !;
and whoever gets in the classification
Of greatness finds himself the servant
of his work.
Underlying this picture IL the great
truth that the king was dependent on
his stewards; even as Christ lets the
welfare of his kingdom rest on the
faithfulness Of his friends. All good
causes, even the growth Of the gospel
itself. depend on the fidelity of those
who stand as stewards. And that puts
the parable squarely up to all Of US in
the everyday Of life.
News From Far Countries.
Terse Comments for July 26, "Good
News from the Mission Fields. -
Ps. 66:1-8.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
The huge task of awakening Amer
lea to the awaking Of the world Is
visibly being accomplished. Every year
sees a great advance in popular intel
ligence concerning international at
fairs. What is going on in the
on In ones own neighborhood. Most
persons who read have come to have
measurably true understanding of
China as q whole. Africa means more
than q vague dark continent" Tur-
key Is being understood in its many
and dissimilar component parts Japan
Is no longer q mystery. In word. we
westerners are taking q new and some
what intelligent interest in all the
larger affairs Of the great world which
education, Christian missions have
played a considerable part.
The person who knows most about
the greatest number of countries
should be the most efficient citizen Of
his own land.
In one general phrase. missionary
news is intelligence concerning the
betterment of the character Of back
ward peoples; and that is good news.
Problems multiply as races draw
closer together. The missionary en-
terprise is ever increasing in it's COM
plexity. New phases and aspects are
ever developing. But the glory OF the
situation is that the new needs are
being met with increasing skill and
resourcefulness by the various mis-
sionary agencies OF Christendom. The
extension work Of the church was
never before SO efficiently done. The
number Of able men and women in
mission service is increasing. but &c
also is their ability to measure up. to
the new tasks Of the hour.
A friend, who is a skillful artist and
photographer. is at the present time
In the far east, making moving pic
lures of mission lands and mission
work. The photographs he is taking
will be displayed all over the CONT
nent, as q new form Of missionary
education. Even the commercial mo-
ton picture houses are interested tc
secure films dealing with this most
picturesque. as well as most beneficent
form of Christian enterprise. Mis-.
sions make material for the "movies;'
even as they make material for litera.
ture, social service and statesmanship
Over in Cairo, the ''bloody ANGLE Of
the conflict between Christianity and
islam, a great Christian university II
projected, to round out the work OF
the American mission. If anybody
thinks missions a small matter, rur
by narrow people In retty fashion. HI
needs but look at the immense and
costly colleges and universities which
It maintains on civilizations frontier
Great methods are fully employed fol
the great task of making over thu
worlds present order.
Il While there are doubtless NOR.
neathen in the world today than whel
william Carey sailed for India, OWNS
TO the natural increase Of population
It Is also true that the converts t.
christianity are increasing in some
!ands-notably in Indian and Korea
In something like geometrfcaI ratio