The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-04
The international sunday school
Lesson for Nov. 10 "Joash Re-
pairs the TsmpIe."-il Kings
t1:2t; t2:t6.


II I were car OF this western
world In this present uneQualled cri-
sis In human events. there are three
or four fundamental things that
would set the people to doing. Chief
among these I would require that all
the churches and religious societies
throughout the land receive fresh at
tention. and that as may be neces-
sary, they be rebuilt In their physi.
cal equipment and spiritual organiza-
ton. Wherever there is q breach in
the walls Of the church-literal or
metaphorical-it should be quickly
repaired. The fashion OF young king
Joash. OF long ago. whose experience
In rebuilding the temple 10 today's
Sunday school lesson, Is funda-
mental fashion to follow.
The reason IL clear: such crises in
q nations life az the present are to
be net first Of all by spiritual
forces. All tho armies and navies
that military genius could devise or
command cannot safeguard nation
whose people have lost their vision
and their noblest purposes. Ideals
are ultimately the defence OF a ma
ton. No graver issue IL before
our time than that of reha bilitating
In tho minds of the multitudes the
great old convictions and purposes
which first made US strong. Nobody
need lose sleep at night from fear
of a hostile invasion; but there Ia
real reason for sleepless concern
over the steadily undermining Of the
integrities of faith and duty which
may be detected In process.
The nation looks to the church for
spiritual strength and for the vision
that will meet the new duties OF the
high hour that is upon US. What
help remains II, In this time Of
times. instead Of a church with
clear. lofty. ringing message to
mems souls. we have merely an az
glomeration OF petty, contending.
smallminded and sordid ecclesiasti-
cal organizations. so engrossed with
trifiing politics aud the material
needs of self-srbsistence, that they
are deaf and blind to the heroic
summons OF God and humanity!
Life Mirrors Religion.
Like every ether national leader
who las had wit enough TO know
anything about his business, Joash
understood that the prosperity OF
Judah was bound up with the well
fare and fidelity OF religion. No ma
ton ever comes TO It's height apart
from the inspiration and support Of
a religious faith. Both France and
Germany year ago, were the sub
ject OF many articles concerning
their religious decline. Now, in the
seventimes heated furnace OF war
both have found their souls. Yet
II is because the nations had subord-
mated spiritual concerns TO material
values that We have this world war.
Life mirrors religion. When relig-
ion becomes perfunctory. mechanical
or secondary, then we have such
collapses of civilization as that
which Is today staggering humanity.
Is II too much to hope that after
the awful obligations which this
war Is creating have been laid upon
the survivors. and accepted open
eyed. some nation will deliberately
undertake to give religion the right
OF way In Its life? Can we imagine
a people dedicated intellectually
to Gods highest purposes? What
could not such nation do in this
re.made world. Occasionally man
kind has seen what one wholly, ded-
icated Christian could accomplish.
When Dwight l.. Moody was young
man he heard a speaker say. "The
world Ia yet to gee what God can do
with wholly, ccnsecrated man.
Moody resolved that he would be
that man. And Moody. whose bones
are moldering on Little Round Top
in Mortified, still lives as one OF
the worlds greatest forces.
Making a Clean Sweep.
IL anybody asks why the temple
at Jerusalem so sorely needed re-
pairing. there Is one sentence In the
lesson which makes answer. After
the record Of Joash's loyalty to God.
We read "Howbeit the high places
were not taken away; the people
still sacrificed and burnt incense In
the nigh places" That is a good
picture Of modern life. Theoretical
ly. we have a Christian civilization;
actually. materialism, pride, AFRO
gance. cruelty. selfshness and
avarice have kept the incense burn
ing on their high places. There II
no room even In the circumambient
ether for the smoke of the rival in
cense from the altar Of Jehovah and
the affairs OF idolatry and self.indul-
sence. God demands that He be
God alone.
A queer notion Ia lodged firmly In
certain pious minds that the passive
virtues are all that are needed for
the bringing In OF the kingdom Of
heaven. Some folk don't want to be
disagreeable even to the devil him
self. They would not speak III about
even the worst foes Of society. This
10 the more strange when we remem
Der that II anything at all 10 clear
in the program Of God, as indi.
Gated In both tina Old Teatame