Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-28
PHILANTHROPY IS
OLD AS The HILLS
Apostles Practiced 1t in Its
Most Scientific Form
Way Back
LIFE INSTEAD OF GIFT
International Sunday School
Lesson For Jan. 80 Is "The
Lame Man Leaping"
LIFE INSTEAD OF GIFT
The International Sunday School
Lesson for January 80 is The
Lame Man Leaping."-Acts Oh. 3.
(By William t. Ellis.)

Nby Wllnam L. EitlS.D
Fashions in clothes are said to
move in cycles; and more important
. still, the days mode in more essen
tial matters is but a rediscovery of
| truths as old as the Gospel. Many
persons are interested at this parti-
cular moment in the large question
of charities and philanthropies; and
turn from a consideration of the
latest principles of relief work to
this old bit of Scripture which is the
assigned Sunday School Lesson and
find that the most modern platform
for helping the needy is that which
was preached and practiced by the
apostles Peter and John nearly two
thousand years ago.
| This familiar ancedote of how two
| Christian philanthropists (although
they did not apply any such formid-
able titles to themselves) met a beg
gar on the public highways and put
new legs under him by putting
new life into him contains all of
scientific philanthropy that the world
to-day has found out. The beggar by
the beautiful gate, a cripple since
birth walled forth dolefully his cry
! for aims. He thought that his
greatest lack was money. 1t was his
good fortune to catch the attention
OF two Christians who gave serious
considerations to his case, and met
his real need, which was far deeper
| than his expressed wants.
Buying SeIf-Satisfaction Cheaply
a host of organizations and con-
ferences and exhibits and trained
specialists, and tons of literature all
| have for their objective the removal
of the spirit of mendicancy from
those who are in need. Scientific
charity seeks TO get rid of the causes
| OF beggarY. Behold the up-to-date
/ Gospel doing that very thing. When
ever the Church is justly criticized
| for reckless almsgiving. let it be re-
| memhered that she errs in spite Of
/ the clear example and teaching of
rock principles with the beggar at
the beautiful gate. He gave life, in
| stead of a dole.
1t is easy to give aims. More than
| that, II is pleasure. Hundreds of
thousands of warm-hearted folk gave
Christmas dinners to the poor, to the
| undeserVing as we'll as the deserv-
ing, with never a thought about
whence their dinners were to come
! during the remainder of the winter
| one social worker put it thus:
Most of this giving is subjective. The
! pleasure that 1t imparts to the giver
is larger factor than the good it
may do the recipient. Anybody is
willing TO give dollar for the glow
| or heart which comes from feeling
| ones self philanthropist. The
pleasure is cheap at the price. Too
cheap, indeed. l once knew a very
| wealthy woman to change a nickIe
paper from an old woman whose
misery appealed to her - and she
thought she was charitable. That
complacency was bought at too low
a price. Real helpfulness costs
more. in a higher currency than gold
We're not buying bargains in self
satisfaction.
1t Befell BY The Way
Most of the pleasures and oppor-
! tunities of life are wayside expert
/ ences. We start somewhere - and
suddenly find on the way that which
| IS more important than our original
/ objective. Saul once went looking
/ for livestock. and found a crown.
Jacob got "a wife when he sought a
/ drink of water. This episode, of
the lame man at the beautiful gate
/ of the temple, who was healed by
Peter and John, befell by the way.
Just as churches to-day are work
/ ed by professional mendicants, be-
cause Christians do most of the
worlds giving, so the professional
| beggar in this story had his post, or
! pitch" by the gate of the temple.
! through which people went to wor-
ship The apostles were on their
way to three o'clock prayers; it was
| the hour of the daily sacrifice, and,
! TO them more significant, the hour of
| the crucifiNion of their Master. Please
| observe that these new Christians
| had not got too good for the old
| Church. Until their own organiZa-
tions were formed and engrossed
their time, the early Christians OBJ
! served the worship of temple and
! synagogue. So by the way, as they
went forward meditating or convers-
/ ing upon the theme that was upper
most in their thoughts, they met this
poor man. Their thoughts were
never so high that they could not see
the needs of earth: their Master had
trained them otherwise.
Probably the apostles had often
seen this beggar before. He was as
much one of the sights of the temple
vicinity as are the lepers who TODAY
| sit by the road between Jersualem
and Gethsemane. Now a new life
and joy and power was in the hearts
! of the apostles. They had received
| the Gift which makes all its recip
! tents givers. So when the whining.
wailing cry of the professional beg