South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-19
THE BODY OR THE SOUL
BN Marion CouthouN smith
Of The Nigilantes.


Perhaps there was never a time
in the history or Christendom when
the saving or Christ What shall il
profit a man II ne shall gain the
whole world and lose his own soul?"
came oftener TO the minds Of men
than it does today. For truly this
il a time for the sitting Of hearts.
Very early in the war Owen Wister
said. in his "Pentecost of Calamity
Il want no better photograph Of
any individual than his opinion Of
this war. If he has none, that is
photograph Of him"
Anyone today who can fail 10 see
The significance Of this conflict. is
blind 10 the things Of the spirit.
Anyone who can wish himself, or
even his-or her-dearest. free
from the dangers and the response
bilities OF il. Is a traitor TO his own
self and 10 the eternal truths upon
which all life is built
For in a very high sense this is
not a war at all We instinctively
think OF war as a fair contest be-
tW cen armies for something which
TO each contestant seems just and
right. In most cases right has been
on one side or another. but even
the mistaken side has contested its
cause with certain regard for de-
cency. and "a certain sportsmanlike
respect for the enemy and accept
ance OF defeat. if defeat must come
Al least this is true Of most modern
war Even undue ambition has
stopped short OF deviltry 20 gain its
ends But the present slaughter
has little about it mat we have lat
terly called war When one mau
falls upon another foully, 10 deprive
him Of his property or his life,
Without reason. we do not call it a
ight-we call it murder.
So this conflict is on the one side
an unspeakably base aggression.
and on the other a great and brave
defense defense of the helpless,
and a defense OF all truth and right.
One OF the Memorial day preachers
said in substance. We are really
ing more and more that this is a
war of preservation: the preserva-
tion of all that men have fought and
died for in the past, and all that
viii make life worth living in the
future. Therefore. if il g-es on for
generations, we must fight it
through"
Yet there was never in all his
tory such carnage and such world
wide agony as the world has been
going through in the past four
years. And here we come 10 the
direct issue between the body and
the soul. In the case of all martyrs
that choice has had 10 be made
without compromise. And every
country that has stood up 10 the
present embodiment Of evil and de-
fed it-from noble little Belgium TO
our own country in this the elev-
eEth hour-has made that tremeu-
dous that decisive choice. that only
free souls can make. On the one
hand. we have the delusion of peace
and ease, with hearts cIinging 10
! bodily and material safety and
prosperity. on the other. We have
sacrifice and struggle TO the utmost.
with a spiritual gain beyond our
I power TO measure. and an establish
ment of ideals and principles that
( We recognize as a large part or the
goal OF our eternal life II is this
recognition that has brought bout
such an immense revival OF faith in
/ God and i'm immortality. through
all the horrors of the struggle We
see 50 clearly now. In the atmos-
phere OF great thought and great
sacrifice. what the iite OF the soul
means that we 90 smiling 10 the
death Of the body. OF the loss Of the
JOY Of this worlds life. In the fol-
lowing OF great ideals. we reach the
mountain heights OF the spirit And
the hour viii come ina which NE
shall realize that il was supremacy
+ worth while. So shall We know the
meaning Of another saying Of the
/ Master or souls. When ~ shall
see these things come Co pass then
look up. and lift up your heads. for
your redemption drawelh nigh