Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-03-07

ard one of the most prominent church
men in that denomination, has writ
ten the following partoral letter de-
filming the observance of Lent, which
begins Wednesday, March 8th, or Ash
Wednesday The latter, appointed to
be read in all the churches throughout
tie diocese, reads:
To the Baptized and Confirmed Mem
bers of the Church in the Diocese of
Georgia. My Dear Friends:
1t has been my custom for several
years, as it is now my privilege to
send you at the beginning of Lent a
few words of counsel and encourage
ment.
One of the perplexing things we OBJ
serve in life is how Indifferent and in
sensible we are apt to become to the
most valuable and blessed opportuni,
ties which God gives us. AS parents
and friends of the young, we oftentimes
lament their indifference to their edu-
cational advantages. But life is to
everyone and always an educational
opportunity. Experience, we say, is
the great teacher, and extended to pro-
duce in us capacity for right judge
ment in all things, to enable us to es-
innate truly life's values. l feel that
much wrong and sin, much waste and
Wretchedness arises from a perverted
judgement, misinterpretation of life.
Is not this awful war in Europe 4
most terrible instance of a perverted
judgement on somebody's part How
frequently do otherwise capable and
successful people make colossal errors
OF judgment, made possible not only
from the common human limitations of
foresight, but because the judgment is
perverted by the conceit of success. A
perverted will, selfishness, pride, sin,
affect the judgments of life and its in
terests and issues. If we could see life
truly and see it whole, we should, l
am sure, be saved from much error
and wrong and misery. But in order
to see life truly, we must get per-
spectiVe. We must detach ourselves
as wholly as possible, sometimes and
always, in some measure, from the in
terest and passions, the fascination
and excitements of our usual interests
and experiences. We must get another
point of view. We must place ourselves
in different environment.
Now, religion gives us that different
point Of view. Religion we will defend
as the consciousness of God and Etern-
ity and of our relationship to Him. As
such it sets our life in larger envir-
ohment. 1t alters the perspective OF
| life. 1t changes the emhasis.
The sense of our own inner life in
touch with God and Eternity, the con-
temptation and appreciation in that
light of our motives and ambitions. OF
what we understand NIB life, all this
detaches us for time from these fam
liar and necessary but one-sided in
terests, which we are prone to assume
exhaust life's experience and posi-
b!lities.
My brethren, no man can have a
right Judgment sane mind, who
does not see life truly and see it whole.
Nor can the process of life's discipline
be making us wiser, richer and nobler
unless We are keen to observe and
dlligent to avail ourselves of every
opportunity by which we can find more
of God in the world about us and de-
velop more of His life within our
selves. This is our great task, to use
life and its opportunities so as to en-
rich and deepen and ennoble life, not
only for ourselves, but for the sake of
duty to God and our brethren.
This sense and vision of God gives
us true wisdom. This appreciation of
our relationship to Him and of our
capacity for intimacy with Him, alone
gives true value and dignity to life and
all of its interests and experiences.
But this is greatly dependent upon
periods Of detachment, upon the prac-