The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-04
WHEN A NATION cHoss the
sEcoNp bEsT.
The tntsrnstionaI Sunday school
Lesson for March 2 70 saul
Ansintsd kins."--l Sam. s;i7 to
to;t

S7ofntso N"s. S
to;t
do you think the Chinese VII
ever give up their beautiful an
comfortable garments for wester
drsssY' inquired a missionary OF
mandarin. less than ten years age
NO. I'm sure they viii not" wa
the positive reply. Nevertheless, TO
day that mandarin. like most othei
progressive city Chinese. is wearini
European clothes. The craze to b
IN fashion has seized China. even a
n earlier seized Japan. Half the
economic and social difhculties OF
the Japanese nation are due 10 this
unreasoning desire 10 be like other
people.
There IL nothing new about that
however. Old Israel was in the
same case. a. the time OF our pres
emit lesson. Under samuels leader
ship something like national soli-
darlty had been attained. Far-reach'
ing social and educational institu-
lions had been established. Song
had been introduced into public wor'
ship. Religious schools had been
founded. A simple and effective de-
mocrsey. which was also q the
ocracy. was In operation.
Every sheep thinks the grass In
the next pasture greener. and these
Israsiites. quite In the spirit OF our
own young people who want above
al things else to be In fashion and
TO do what. everybody does" had
become infected with the microbe
Of emulation. They were tired Of
being peculiar. All the other ma
lions had kings. 80 they wanted a
king also. with the same shallow
reasoning that has misled men and
women IN al ages. they decided that
20 Be IN fashion was the ultimate
goai. n We were not so guilty our.
selves ve should scorn these fool
ish. foolish old Hebrews. who chose
20 be miserable imitAtors, when they
might have been originators.
The Chance Thst Was Missed
Imagination reels rs we contem-
plate what might have been the
co1rss Of history had Israel under
Samuel lived up 10 It's possibilities
This was one OF the most tragic of
the might have beens" with which
ths narrative Of human progress 10
crowded.
y instead % the worlds having to
wait al these centuries for democ-
raey to come to flower. In q CONT
'nenf then undiscovered. Israel would
have held alcft this beacon to light
On al nations Under Samuel the
nation was . real -emocrzcy. The
people ruled Life was simple. The
kingship Of the individual. and his
rssponsibility to God alone. was ex-
prsssed n perhaps never before or
since. Chosen men Of God sought
70 administer justice. and to keep
operative the benencent laws OF
Moses. which are still In advance Of
the statutes which govern the most
civilized communities.
This was mankind's great oppor.
tunity. Israel might have led all the
world. ages ago. into the just and
brotherly life Of q true democracy.
lifting OF the necks Of humanity the
kingcurse which at this hour 10
drsnching the world with blood
What . chance TO have missed. Even
the shameful failure OF the Crusades
seems small alongside OF this.
The Night TO % Wrong.
Since man IN not q manikin or an
automaton. he enjoys the terrible
privilege Of making q fool OF him
self Detained for divine ends. he
may yet 80 TO the devil The right
TO do wrong. and to nout and defy
God. 10 the price mortal pays for his
godlike possibilities. A free moral
agent man must be. II he In ever to
conform to the image OF his Maker.
He can repudiate all the most bene-
fcent plans OF God for his welfare.
The sons are not slaves.
In the exercise or this avesome
right. Israel decided that Il would
rather follow the multitude TO do
evil than to follow God to do right.
II rejected the divine programme OF
. thsocratic democracy. because IL
wanted 10 be In style. So a deputa-
ton Of leaders waited on faithful old
Samuel Zone OF the few characters
IN the Old Testament concerning
whom the record has no criticism)
aud told him bluntly that he was
old and out-of-dste. and that they
wanted an eyenIiing king. like the
nsfions around them. We think OF
African natives trading diamonds for
olass beads: Of American Indians
selling empires for q few yards OF
chico: % farmers bargaining oil
lands for paitry city houses. a. we
contsnplats the exchange that Israel
ashsd.
Let us make no mistake about n.
The present meaning OF the lesson