The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-06-27
MARY OF BETHANY

were love taken from your life. Could we live
without love? 1t is doubtful. Let us lose the love
of mother and father of sweetheart and wife, of the
children born of our hearts and minds well
flesh and blood; of friends and neighbors and
quaintanees and the passing world let lose all of
this love and still be glad live if we can. What
the worth of life then? No worth. We could not
live because we would not.
We should be thankful that love can never die.
With thanks we should cultivate greater spirit
of appreciation for this Divine attribute of human
character that so richly besses the world. We
should learn more about it. Truly we need lessons
in love- And where but to the Bible should we turn
for this nstructon-for the examples that will help
to fuller realization and higher regard concerning
loves place in life? The Bible is the Book of God
and all of have been taught that God is Love. The
Bible, then, is Book of Love; and this is literally
well fguratively true. for page after page
gives the true love stories that were lived when
civilization was in it's youth.
1t is we'll that there are such examples of love.
The world needs them because love has come to in
cude every feeling and inclination of humanity. The
fact is that we are forgetting how to love because
no longer know what love is. We should
member that by love is meant the minds affection
and not physical usts and passions. Love has naught
to do with these. Love is principle not method
means of gratifying capricious whim of
taste or feeling. Starting from this fact may
reach true estimate of loves relation to happiness.
content and life's great purposes and high ideals
1t is confusing and difficult to choose of
multitude of perfect things
One hesitates before taking lesson of love
from the Bible offer the best it's pages hold. So
very much of love is pictured there! Such great and
perfect lowest We find the love of God for his child
manifested in the Divine care and solicitude
that is the theme around which every thought this
Book moves Stories there of the mothers loves
that give much of JOY and gladness to the Bible.
Sarah, Rachel, Hannah. Elisabeth and the Blessed
Mary few and it is to wonder what greater les
sons than these we would seek.
The fathers are not forgotten for we read of the
love of Abraham, Isaac. Jacob. David and many
others. The love of friends is in this history.
What be of greater worth and example than the
love of Jonathan, the Kings son, for the humble
shepherd. David? And there. too, is the love of
for their enemies-witness David's love for
Saul. Love? 1t is on every page; in every word
and we seek the world for love stories while
forgotten and unminded these treasures of the
ages.
All these loves we may follow, study and emu
late. But should have one lesson in loving that
may not be confused with earthly things; with the
usts and passions that wholly temporal-ephem-
eral and feeting as the seconds that waste upon
them parents love is nature following marked
course in life. The platonic love of friends is
understood by all. But when we turn to the love
between men and women we touch the very heart of
life for it was by this love that God intended His
world should live and grow. There is none but has
hidden in corner of mind and heart the
alter where this perfect love is worshiped; where
great desire for it finds expression and expectant
hope awaits it's coming.
On the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives
about two miles distant from Jerusalem lay the vii
laee of Bethany. Dwelling in this small community
was "a certain man named Lazarus and his two
Sisters, Martha and Mary. We have further dis
cription of this home; but may quite accurately
create the atmosphere surrounding these simple
folks from several incidents mentioned in the
ratives of Christs life.
On one occasion when Jesus came to Bethany
we are told that they made him a supper: Martha
served: Lazarus sat at the table with him." Does
not this portray the home of comfort happiness and
love? At another time Jesus came this village
and brought Lazarus back from the grave One
writer takes space and time mention that He loved
Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" We may sure
ly believe this In all the narratives of Christs life
we have no mention of His having home. He went
here and there throughout the land attending to his
appointed business but nowhere is it told that he
went home for the rest, blessings and privileges only
home can offer, He had no home No doubt He,
who was the Master of Heaven and Earth, felt
need of an earthly abode. Yet His wanderings from
city to city and country to country must have
led and discouraged even Him and we may believe