Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-12-20
PEACE ON EARTH.

ing to insure tit will automat1-
cally bring good to each individual
life composing the nations. Men are
at work on these stupendous world
problems-plans too big for the aV-
erage thinker-but there is some
thing Of vital, if not equal, impor-
lance that may well occupy all our
-minds at thiYChristmas time, 1918,
our Masters first birthday following
the bloody struggle against world
domination and slavery at the hands
of militarism:
The angels on the Judean plains
proclaimed peace and GOOD WILL
AMONG MEN not nations, but
MEN, and the major good that would
result from realization Of this angel
ic herald is individual good WILL be-
tween man and man.
We talk and hear much of "vic-
tory" nowadays, a victory won for
Us By our boys. If we would prove
ourselves worthy of the sacrifices
made by them; if we would cultivate
and perpetuate the altruistic spirit
and enjoy the full benefits Of victory,
we will get rid Of malice, spite and
i'll will, and surely no more appro-
pirate time for such resolves and
meditation than the Christmas time:
It is not time for fixing blame or
framing excuses for GOODNESS, enmi-
ties and unfriendliness, but to try to
purify the fountains from which
flow these petty spites jealiousies and
ambition that separate friends and
make enemies of neighbors.
This line Of thought was suggest
ed by reading the following sum-
ming up of THE Allied Victory and
what it Means" found in one Of the
State papers, wherein the writer had
ovcrlookcd, or failed to mention the
new brotherhood as it applies to in
dividual life:
l. l feel sure that it does not
mean, rs so many have thought, the
end Of the world. I cannot think
that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
the Prince of Peace, will allow his
coming to be heralded by the BOOM
ingof guns and the out-rages of bru-
tally. These terrible things are be-
hind Us, and believe that the world
viii be given time to rest and reform
itself before the closing scenes of it's
history.
,. l believe that this is the dawn
of the worlds new day. 1t is the
new birth CT nations and the day Of
the worlds renovation. The worlds
pulse is under the fingers of the
Christion nations to-day. They are
diagnosing the case, and they will
administer the remedies for the
worlds diseases in succeeding gener-
alton Let lis believe that the dawn
CT & new md glorious morning is
breaking Ger the hilltop and that
the light Of the Sun of Righteous
ness vii soon drench with heavenly
Glory erely mountain, hilltop and
valley to the uttermost parts of the
earth and scatter forever the darkness
CT oppression and brutality.
3. 'ihis allied victory and down
fail i monarchies must mean years
of reconstruction and rehabilitation
1t viii take years of Christian
thought, patience, toll, and prayer to
rebuild the nations and lift them up
to high. noble, and righteous living;
but such is the glorious task, and the
prospects are bright.
!. This victory means RESPONSE
billy upon the yictors and largely
upon the Christian Church. Eye
are the salt of the earth; but if the
salt have lost his SAVIOR, wherewith
shall it be sailed? 1t is thenceforth |
good for nothing, but to be cast out |
and to be trodden under foot of |
men" The Lord is counting onhis |
people as the worlds antiseptic to
purify, cleanse, and sweeten human
society and to lift the world back to
God.
5. This victory means not only
responsibility, but it means wonder
full opportunity. Never did there
loom so large on the horizon Of the
Church and of this nation such mag
nifcent opportunity foraccomplish-
ment to the glory Of God and to the
benefit Of humanity. Eye are the
light of the world" to guide it back
TO the plan OF it's Creator 1t is glo-