Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-11-05
BUSINESS PUT
INTO RELIGION
Present Crisis in Nations Life
Should Be Met First by
Spiritual Forces
IOASH BUILDS TEMPLE
International Sunday School
Lesson For November 7 Is
"Joash Repairs Temple"
xoASH BUILDS TEMPLE
(By WILLIAM T. ELLIS)

(By WILLIAM T. EIILIS)
II l were czar 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 1 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-
tion. Wherever there is a breach i'll
the walls of the Church-literalIy or
metaphorIcally - It should be quickly
repaired. The fashion OF young KING
Joash, of long ago, whose experience
in rebuilding the temple is to-day's
Sunday school lesson, Is a foundamen-
tai fashion to follow.
The reason is clear; such crises in
a nations life as the present are to
be met first OF all by spiritual forces.
All the armies and navies that mill
tary genius could devise or command
cannot safeguard a nation whose peo-
pie have lost their vision and their
noblest purposes. Ideals are ulti-
mately the defense of a nation. No
people have lost their vision and their
noblest purposes. Ideals are ulti-
mately the defense of a nation. No
graver issue is before our time than
that of rehabilitating in the minds
of the multitudes the great old con-
victions and purposes which first
made us strong. Nobody need lose
sleep at night from fear of a hostile
invasion: but there is real reason for
sleepless concern over the steadily
undermining of the intogrities OF
faith and duty which may be detect
ed in process.
ha tn 10,
spiritual strength and Tor the vision
that will meet the new duties of the
high hour that is upon U.S. What
help remains if, in this time of times
instead of a Church with a clear,
lofty, ringing message to mems souls,
we have merely an agglomeration Of
petty, contending, small-minded and
sordid ecclesiastical organizations, so
engrossed with trifling politics and
the material needs of self-sub-
sistence, that they are deaf and
blind to the heroic summons of God
and humanity?
Life Mirrors Religion
Like every other national leader
who has 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
tion ever comes to its height apart
6pom the inspiration and support of
4 religious faith. Both France and
Germany year ago, were the sub
ject of many articles concerning their
religious decline. Now, in the seven
times heated furnace of war both
have found their souls. Yet 1t is be-
cause the nations had subordinated
spiritual concerns to material values
that we have this world war. Life
-z1sr TNT til
comes perfunctory, mechanical or
secondary. then we have such col
lapses of civilization as that which is
to-day staggering humanity.
Is 1t too much to hope that after
the awful obligations which this war
is creating have been laid upon the
survivors. and accepted open-eyed,
take to give religion the right of way
in its life? Can we imagine peo-
pie dedicated whole -heartedly to
Gods highest purposes? What could
not such a nation do in this re-made
world! Occasionally mankind has
seen what one wholly, dedicated
Christian could accomplish. When
Dwight L. Moody was a young man
he heard a speaker say. "The world
is yet to see what God can do with a
wholly consecrated man." Moody
resolved that he would be that man.
And Moody, whose bones are mold
ering on Little Round Top in North
field. still lives as one of the worlds
greatest forces.
Making a Clean Sweep
If anybody asks why the temple at
Jerusalem so sorely needed repairing
there is one sentence in the lesson
which makes answer. After the rec
ord of Joashs loyalty to God. we read
IrTF~ ~tzzfN I. -.
taken away: the people still sacrificed
and burnt incense in the high places"
That Is good picture of modern life
Theoretically. we have Christian civ
ilization; actually, materialism. pride
arrogance, cruelty. selfishness and
avarice have kept the incense burning
on their high places. There is mol
room even in the circumambient ether
for the smoke OF the rival incense
from the affairs of Jehovah and the
affairs OF idolatry and self-indulgence.
God demands that He be God alone
queer notion is lodged firmly in
certain pious minds that the passive
virtues are all that are needed for the
bringing in of the iingdom of heaven
Some folk don't want to be disagree
able even to the devil himself They
would not speak i'll about even the
worst foes of society. This is the more
strange when we remember that if
hiiS INNS az e1il 10 Cledl III lile program
of God, as indicated in both the Old
Testament story and the New Testa-
ment Record of the life of Jesus it is
that wicl<edness must be overthrown.
The Christian is called to be an icono-
clast an idol smasher. There are
some men who are church pillars who
40 not weigh an ounce when it comes
TO driving corruption out of COM
munity. Yet to fight evil is as surely
part of the Christian program as to
proclaim the good. The high places
must be maintained in her integrity,
for the service OF the world. There
&c host of social ills that will have
70 be remedied il we are going to meet
the new day in the spirit of the king
dom of heaven.
Overlooking the Preacher