South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-13
PERIODICAL SON.
SHOWN IN MOVIES
Rev. ]. H. Alexander Illus
trateS Great Parable With
Moving Pictures.

A large audience enjoyed the COM
bination moving picture and preach
ing service at the First Christian
church last evening After the SER
mon on the Prodigal Son. two films
were shown. one depicting the Pro
digal Son" and the other The Man
He Might Have Been"
Rev. John NJ. Alexander said;
This prodigal boy was heady rotten
and utterly selfish. Sin today has as
it's tap root the same egoism and dis
regard Of others. Sociology. philOs-
ophy and other modern sciences
may soft pedal. palate and make eX-
cuses for wilful sin, but the fact and
its result are ever present with us.
This parable brings into great
prominence the loss which Cod sus-
tains in the lapse and wandering Of
the sinner.
Many Like Him Today.
The few strokes in which the ca
reer Of the prodigal is depicted con
stantly approve themselves at the
bar Of universal experience. This
fellow is actually reproduced in the
lives of tens Of thousands Of young
men.
The beginning in all cases is ex-
actly the same, incapacity and ina
bility TO find full enjoyment in Gods
lovt and Gods leadership.
What a pity that our sons have
10 receive their degrees in this pain
full school. What a pity that they
must languish in broken hearted
anguish.
With the greatest possible dis
lance between himself and home, he
forgcts all the past. He plunges into
the suffOcating life of the great
white way" and revels in the rot
tenness of the gilded palaces Of sin.
How soon the scene shifts. Look
at him now, every form of sensual
indulgence has written itself upon
very fibre of his manhood, body,
soul, spirit All blackened with filth,
starvation and rags, emaciated in
side, outside. almost ruined forever,
he opens his eyes. He contrasts what
he was with what he might have
been.
He had carted his talents 10 the
dunghill and found himself an inte-
grail part of it.. These riotous livers
are always wandering hither and
thither seeking some untried form
OF unfettered freedom. But the Ia
mire comes, hUsks and ashes viii not
satisfy the human soul. No one
ever gets wiser nor stronger by do
ing wrong. This prodigal lying by
the swine trough had given the best
ial life a thorough trial. While his
return may have an element OF self
ishness in il, yet he must be con-
mended for opening his eyes how
ever late. What pity that men will
not try Gods ways until they have
have tried all others and found them
futile.
Meeting Is Tragic.
Nothing is more tragic and pa
thetic than the meeting of father
and son. While he was a great way
eff, his father saw him, had compass
sion on him and ran out TO meet
him.
This is the picture of God re-
ceiving wandering sinners. Are you
ashamed OF your past life? are you
disguised with the rOttenness Of
your soul? Would YOU come home
10 God? Have you wasted your best
in lothesome qualification? If so,
do not be afraid TO come home TO
God. His open arms are ready TO re-
ceive you. He will take away your
filthy sour rags and the scent OF the
swine trough and clOthe you as a
child Of the King. The reinstate-
ment will be. immediate. The past
will be wiped out and YOU viii be
given a new page upon which you
may write the history of your life. "