The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-05

sues of this war are all the great social
and economic and humanitarian issues
that have lifted their lure before the
eyes of forward-looking men and wo-
men, When we erect the Jesus way
for the world by our armies ana OF
statecraft and cur newer. nobier nina,
we shall have established truly way
of life for earth's remotest and need
lest inhabitant-
The Greatest CAN OF All.
All our enlisted hosts of best young
men have proved the lure and power
of a sublime call to a sacrificiai serv-
ice, so we may We. see a response on
newer, nobler scale, to the great and
virile call to walk the Jesus way. to
keep company with Him ano HIS
friends, and to help carry on the
work He came to do For becoming a
Christian is no such small thing as
| joining a church, with the obhgauon
| to attend certain set of meetings. ana
| to abstain from specified practices,
| and 20 putte- along, in snal-'nlno-
| ed way. about a lot of petty interests
| and petty tasks. 1t means an enlist-
ment, an entrance upon the knightli-
| est Of all undertakings. an offering up.
| of life itself for the hottest of goals, .
dedication of self to ends worth while.
| Turning again to the meaty book all
ready quoted, l find one chaplain say
| ing, AT last. believe. we know what
Jesus stands for. Prophets and kings
| have desired to see the things which
we see in our dag, and have not seen
them. We cannot placidly go back to
conventional Christianity-the religion
| Of responsibility and anxious avoid
ance of small faults. No padre GER
tainly, and probably no man. can find
| rest for his soul when the war is over
| in the religion OF parochial activities.
We must have a faith that is elemen-
tai: simple and majestic and compell-
ing. I am quite prepared to see SUCH
large developments in the coming
form of Christianity that the religion
of our sons and grandsons would seem
to be almost an Their faith IL it were
witnessed by Our grandfathers-"
! Another chaplain plays on the same
string: Fundamentally. Christianity
4 Is way of living ordinary life. and is
not to begin with a mere matter either
of abstinence or of attending church.
A saved man. to Christ's thought. is a
man living all day and every day in a
certain way. the way of a disciple.
He is no. a man primarily concerned
about his own soul. He is primarily
concerned about serving Christ"
When the Big Change Comes.
Mothers and fathers on this side Of
! the water are finding that the war Is
making a tremendous change in their
sons who have been in service over
} there" The great enlistment has
made over their life. They are big
ger, and yet simpler. They have be-
come more cosmopolitan, yet more de-
voted thai. ever to the things of home.
An unwonted dignity, self-confidence
and self-abnegation now marks them.
The war -'as made new men of them.
: Which is exactly what happens
when one become a follower of Christ.
: 1t makes men and women over. 1t
takes the Simons, who are merely
some mans sons, and makes rock
|
. makes them warriors, sure of their
flag. AS Paul said to the demon
possessed maiden. I'm the name of
> Jesus Christ, I order you out of her.
SO this Jesus-nlali finds himself called
to exercise all sorts of evil spirits from
. the world. His is a virfle gospel, at
tended by earthquaking experiences.
All the vested interests that misuse
,, mankind are to be fought by the fear
less followers of the hero whom a
cross could not alright.
There as nothing grovellinG or self
contemptuous about Christianity Re
: call how Paul and Silas withstood the
unjust officials who had misused
them. No man ever really becomes a
| Christian without taking on a new
, sense of dignity and manhood. This
, matter of keeping company. with the
+ strong Son of God has lifted up the
!, heads of countless sinking. despica BILE
men. 1t makes a man out of the
drunkard and the outcast. 1t takes
. the child of ease and selfishness.- and
makes him a gallant knight of the
! common veal In that fellowship
, heroes are made. We rise to the
height of our possibilities when we set
ourselves alongside of the perfect
Man. and try to rise to. the measure
of the fulne. of His stature. Begin
ming the Christian life Is merely begin
. ming to go the way of Jesus who to-
! day is anew leading the made-over
world.