Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-27
SEEING THINGS AS THEY ARE.
Clarity of Vision the Great Social Need Shown by New Haven Pastor at First of Union Services.


 The first of the union services of the Second. Broadway and Park Con gregatfonal churches was held Sum day morning at the Second Conere- gational church. There was a good representation from each of the churches and an excellent sermon by the Rev, Watson L. Phillips. D D., of the Church of the Redeemer. New Haven His text was St. Luke. 1s-41:
 And when he was come near, he asked him, saying. What wilt thou that l shall do unto4 thee? And he sight"
 Three Memorable Scenes.
 This event happened on the road to jericho. The Jericho road Is pe- culiarfy rich in scenes which cannot be forgotten. Three of them in par ticular are memorable for the social lessons which they teach. The first is the best known and quoted parable of the Good Samaritan, which shows the true character and spirit of neighbor- Illness. It points out the fact that no man should be hindered or needless ly handicapped. The second scene portTays christs conversation with zaccheus and Ills attitude towards i'll gotten wealth. He brings zaccheus to the full knowledge of his wrong : doing in that he promises to restore fourfold. The third scene is the one mentioned in the text. where the blind beggar accosts Jesus and is asked this greatest of all questions: What wilt thou?' And we know not what clearing of the spiritual vision made the oeggar give an equally great an swer. He realized then what the world has been slowly learning through the centuries while men have been view.
 AImssivins Not the Best Help. The best way to help these unfor- tunate people is not to give them aims. not to preach to them. not to give them passing sympathy. not to inaug- urate public movements for their re- lief-but to remove their individual disabilities. Christ did not order money given him nor refer him to rich peo- ple for charity. He took away his physical handicap. This Is the social teaching of the ages. Here is one of the greatest questions ever asked and the beggar's answer is one of the wisest ever made. His day of
 man. It depends upon the man him self to answer alright.
 The Secret of True knowIedae. This man chose the secret of true ! knowledge. He asked that he might see light. We all pity the blind and the heart of humanity goes out tc those who grepe down a darkehed way. But there are those in worse case than the physically blind. These have no true perceptior-theys see men
 as tree walking, Very few people have | perfect eyes and many schoolchildrer are being helped out of this physical inability to see properly. Worse thar all this is the failure to see things as they are. to view things as a whole | and to determine the real truth ol | things amid the confusion of forces We are too apt to see the things most closely related to our own interests. Nsrrownsss of Our Vision. | This near sightedness keeps us dowr
 to the interests of our own marrow life, our home, our set, our partisan ] interests when compared with worle interests and this near sightedness Ia | a handicap in the race of life. Ther there is the far sightedness which see, only distant and strange things ans condemns the near and familiarN Thil | is an tifseeing vision It explainA wh, la prophet Is not without honor ex. cept in his own country.
 We Need ths Whole Truth.
 The people around us are but unit in a crowd and we do not know theil
 worth until praise comes to them iron outside. Colleges are coming 10 per ceive this truth and giving degreel to their own graduates. This praye should often be made-to see things ai \ they are and to- see the whole truth People need this--but do not. alsay want 1t. A perfectly open mind. read,
 to receive any nev truth or reveizrion
 is rare. There are people who mis