The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1918-11-28
SHOW GRATITUDE
FOR WORLD PEACE
A. l. NlckLAs.

st. Johns Lutheran Church.
20 give thanks unto the Lord. call
upon his name. make known his deeds
among the people," Ps. los, 1.
II ever the American people have
had occasion humbly, devoutly and
solemnly to think of God and to thank
Him for His goodness, that occasion
is Thanksgiving Day in the year of
our Lord 1918. Unfortunately for the
good people Of Richmond, President
Wilson's proclamation can not be car
ried out to the letter. since public SER
vices are still forbidden on account of
the influenza epidemic, but surely In
the quiet of their homes Christian
citizens will heed the call for special
thanksgiving today.
There is much of which we should
think at this time. Our heavenly
Father "maketh His sun to rise on the
evil and on the good. and sendeth rain
on the just and on the unjust" and be-
meath those refreshing showers and
the happy sunshine of His love the
honest toll of all who titled their farms
or worked their war-gardens has been
abundantly blessed and a plentiful
harvest has been gathered into our
store houses. harvest so bountiful
that the nations of Europe now look
to us to feed their hungry and starv-
Ing men. women and children
In the industrial world a prosperity
which is nothing short of marvellous,
has swept over the land from ocean
to ocean. giving wage earners unpar-
alleled opportunities. During the past
year as of old, we have enjoyed our
religious liberty and have continued
to worship God according to the die
tates of conscience, and no man has
dared to molest us.
But especially should we think to-
day Of the termination of the awful
world struggle with it's indescribable
desolation, bloodshed and suffering.
We took our place in that world-war
In order to assist in making the world
fit place of abode for ourselves and
our children. That was is over Peace
Is again to reign upon the earth Our
implements of destruction, which have
been so effective. can now be convert
ed into ploughshares and pruning
hooks and other peaceful instruments
of reconstruction.
These are some of the things of
which we should be thinking today,
and If our thinking is of the right
kind we will also be thankful
But how will we give thanks unto
the Lord?
First of all by gratefully acknowledg
ing that the Lord of hosts has been
with us; that He has made us what
we are, that He has given us what we
enjoy and that praise belongeth to Him
and not unto ourselves. No matter
how unmindful of God we may have
been in the past. there should be no
thought of self-glorification in the
minds of the American people today.
Confess Divine Aid.
The platform, the press, and in
some instances even the pulpit has all
too often INDUCED in bombastic boast
ing of Americas achievements, Amer
ica's shrewdness, Americas greatness
and success, without as much as sug
gestion of Gods goodness, and we as
people have loudly applauded those
boastful utterances, because they
tickled our pride and vanity. but to-
day. with hearts that are ashamed of
past folly and sin, and with minds
truly sobered we should be ready to
confess without hesitation: Not un-
to us, o Lord, not unto us, but unto
thy name give glory" In view of the
matchless bounty. which without any
merit or worthiness on our part, God
has bestowed upon us. let us heed the
Psalmist's exhortation, 20 give thanks
unto the Lord" and as nation sing
in one mighty chorus:
"All glory be to God on high.
Who hath our race befriended:
To us no harm shall now come night,
The feud at last is ended.
God showeth His good will toward
men,
And peace shall dwell on earth again.
o thank Him for his goodness"
But our thanksgiving should not
consist in words only, the American
people should show their gratitude by
dedicating themselves to God and to
the direction of His Holy Spirit. We
should be people respecting the
Lord and His Word and ever keeping
the fear of God before our eyes, peo-
pie stunning sin and loving justice
and righteousness, for righteousness
exalteth a nation, but sin is re-
proach to any people" Prov. IA: 13.