Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-12-18
Sunday Morning Talk
THE STAR IN THE EAST.

The star the wise men saw and fol-
lowed, in the well-loved Christmas
story, is a symbol of the undying
hope of mankind. Amidst the most
terrible eras of bloodshed, terror, and
spiritual night, when it has seemed
as though human kind were Keeling
back into the beast again, the star
has nourished the hope of a COM
ing dawn. There has always been a
shaft of light in the east, even when
gross darkness has covered the face
of all peoples.
glimmering and prophetic bright
ness has beckoned good men onward
ever since the march of time began.
1t has inspired them to labor and
to suffer in confidence that the bet
ter days must come. Saints, apostles
prophets, martyrs, behOlding the
brightness along the eastern horizon,
have known that their struggles and
sacrifices were not in vain.
Nothing in literature is more i'm
preSSive than the eXpeCtant note that
runs through the ancient Hebrew
prophecies. The Old Testament
spokesman for Jehovah, living often
in times of moral chaos, anticipated
the coming of a Deliverer, and with
such enthusiasm that no language they
could use seemed quite adequate to
portray the completeness and glory
of their MeSsianic hope. One fails to
understand Hebrew history who takes
no account of this sublime eXpecta-
ton.
That the Christmas star pierced a
thick gloom, centuries ago, even the
secular historian testifies. In the year
l. the mass of men walked about in
what was, at best, a moral twilight.
Suppose, for an instant we try to
ViZualiZe the long course of human
history by thinking of it as being in
cluded in the span of a single caien-
dar year. Then this present week,
the one preceding Christmas, will cor
respond to a long pre-Christian era
of darkness and distress. The ener-
gies Of society. certainly the energies
that make for social redemption, were
at a low ebb. OF that age the poet
writes:
On that hard Roman world disgust
and secret loathing fell
Deep WEAKNESS and stated lust made
human life a hell.
The statement is not too strong to
find justification in the state of So
ciety.
But all the while the prophets were
saying that, Notwithstanding present
appearances, the golden age was on
the way. THE scepter shall not de-
part from Judah nor the rulers staff
from between his feet until Shiloh
come, ana unto MIN SUdll the ODeQl-
ence of the people be-" A nation with
such a hope held before it is never
going to succumb to encouragement.
May we not in our day still behold
the star in the east? In a time when
mems hearts have failed them for
! fear, when frequent voices cry out
that Christianity has failed, that civil
! ization has collapsed, may we not
| gain again the vision of past centuries
and perceive the light still shining
Even amid the unprecedented hor-
ror of current events. a light that has
never gone out burns on the horizon
and heralds the dawn of a tomorrow
The frightfulness of the days news
must not stifle hope or utterly quench
| optimism. Christianity is as yet only
! in its youth. The Babe of Bethlehem
| is a babe still in the thoughts and
motives of men. In Gods good time
he shall come to full stature. Slowly
| the twilight of early dawn gives way
| to the full glow of day. Slowly, too
! the Prince of Peace gains universal
| sway over the wide range of human
affairs. But the great process, whether
| OF the physical or of the spiritual
/ world, can no man stay.
THE PARSON.