Evening star., 1914-04-07
THE EASTER SYMBOL.
BY DR.. FRANK CRANE.
Copyright, 1914, by Frank CraneJ

| Easter is a Christian festival fixed so
| as to occur at the beginning of spring.
| Among all primitive peoples. Morse
| Egyptian. Hindoo or Greek, springs COM
, ing was given a religious significance
| The Christian fathers wisely took over
| this universal instinct and gave it ex-
| preston in one of the most important
| holy days in the calendar.
The profound heart of mankind has al
ways interpreted nature spiritually: that
is all events in the whole order of
things. the seasons, the movements of
the stars. the storms and sun, were con-
ceived to be symbols addressed to the
soul of man, and not mere dead and
meaningless factors.
If man were stone he might think
the universe to be nothing but material;
being a mind and a heart he persists in
fancying the world also imbued with
purpose and feeling. From this comes
the race-wide phenomenon of religion
Without entering into the theological
side of Easter. let US ask ourselves
What is there in human nature of
which the spring-coming is a fit SYM
bol?
In four ways the soul sees itself at
springtime in the revealing mirror of
nature 1t sees its own rhythmic law,
the perpetual triumph of youth over old
age. of hope over despair and of life over
death.
j. The rhythmic law. Herbert Spencer
explained how all motion is rhythmic,
none is continuously steady. The blood
circulates in pulses. the breath is taken
winds blow in gusts, laughter and
weeping are spasmodic, and SO on. So
also the progress of growth, the educa-
ton of the mind, the unfolding of the
soul. and the progress of civilization ad-
vance and recede, yet with a constant
excess of advance, they go forward not
as the river flows but as the waves of
the tide rise So the common philosophy
of the people says. We all have our
ups and DOWNS THE darkest hour is
just before the DAWN and the like.
.. Triumph of youth over age. This is
a perpetually young world; it is for
youth. not old age. Trees shed their
leaves, plants die, all vegetation periodi-
lest the earth be filled with old things.
So mankind perpetuates itself, not by
the old living on. but by babies coming
to replace them, that it may remain
youthful forever. Youth is the eternal
truth. 1t is natures point of view. What
ever the great spirit may be who ami
mates all things, it is spirit that con-
tinually renews its youth. The world Is
just as young now of a spring morning
as it was in the days of Ninevah. Boys
did the children Of the ancient Egyp-
tians. Then let it be SO in our own ex-
perience, and may the young joy and
wonder of life be constantly reborn in
lis,
3. The triumph Of hope over despair.
Despair is essentially temporary, self
destructive. 1t is a passing winter But
hope is the inevitable spring, and comes
to the hearts of brave men and women
as surely as comes the round Of the sea-
sons. The tides of cheer, joy and opti-
mism in the race are inexhaustible It is
forever a happy world, in the larger
view. weeping may endure Tor the
night. but joy cometh in the morning.
4. The triumph of life over death.
Men die every day. and hearts break, and
bodies become diseased and decrepit. But
this world remains world for the liv-
ing and not the dead. of joyous lovers
and not the dsillusioned. of young cour-
age and not old fear. The mind Of uni
versal man refuses to believe in death;
all our thought and love is impregnated
with life. We shall live on; it Is not
logic that proves it, but it is an mex
tinguishable instinct.
These are the truths about himself |
man reads in the symbol of the return |
ing spring. This is the cosmfc meaning
of Easter.