The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-20

ton. Bound into new unity, and
fellowship aware OF its interdepend-
ence and reliance upon a spirit CT
good will. all the earth is flooded
with Christmas rejoicings. This is
no ordinary Christmas, to be observed
in usual fashion. 1t is a time to enter
into the spirit Of the Christmas Land
itself
Not only is old Judea free, and sa-
maria, and lowly Galilee, where Jesus
roamed, but even Arabia, to the east,
whose dangerous desert sands the
Wise-men crossed, is now a place of
safety and of promise. Ishmael shares
the blessings of the household of Isaac.
We cannot forget that this Christ
mas finds the people of Jesus free.
All over the world, except. possibly, in
chaotic Russia and it's northwestern
borders. where red anarchy reigns. the
Jews have been delivered from i'm
memorial restrictions and persecu-
tons. In Rumania and Turkey and
Europe they have been given full
rights of citizenship.
More wonderful than that: the Jews
are free to return to the land of their
fathers, and to settle therein. AS soon
as they possess majority of the
population they may rule in old Ca
naan. coming to theocracy by way of
democracy. Not since the time OF
King Solomon have the children of
ADTdndfn ndQ SuCn unlInpeQeQ ana
unmenaced liberty in the Land OF
Promise.
The Babe OF the People.
And all because a Babe was born
in Bethlehem! Truly, His name has
become Wonderful" and Counsel
lor,' and He is the "Deliverer," with
"the government upon His shoulders"
Simeon foresaw far when he declared
that this Babe was set for the rise
and fall IF M Tho
now speeds faster than angels flight
thru the pure ether above to all the
earth below, translated into terms of
the victory of righteousness on the
battlefield, and of peace conferences
and world parliaments, is verify good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people"
We have glanced at what this
Christmas means to the people OF the
Babe; now to consider the Babe of
the neople. Never did the sublime
truth mean 80 much as today, that
Jesus came not in royal state to kingly
palace; nor even to the luxurious
born in the lowliest circumstances,
close to the toilers met at the inn. and
son of an artisan household. The d.
vine plan outran the thought of the
day when it placed the only-bego
Son of God as a Babe in q manager;
anu Drought HIN 70 MANHOOD IN a
workingman's home. with a working
mans labor for His own LOT: and
horny handed sons Of industry as His
chosen companions.
This was a new idea. Even yet
the whole earth has not grasped it.
Jesus embodied a fresh truth--the
nearness and love of God, displayed
amid the common people. When the
Almighty did His best to reveal His
own personal qualities to humanity,
He incarnated them in an artisan.
Whatever it was possible for God to
to be seen in the character Of Jesus,
the carpenter.
What means this aspect of the
Nativity upon this day. when there
is surging thru the heart OF humanity
a new sense OF mans rights and of
brotherhood? The answer is a pro-
found one, the truth of truths for our
times. 1t Is that mankind meets to-
gether in the person of Jesus. He
is life's common denominator. All
levels become one on His level. We
find ourselves when we find Him.
His spirit of good will. of compassion,
of helpfulness. of brotherhood, and of
hot indignation against all oppression
and wrong, must be the spirit of the
new day. The issue has now we'll
nigh narrowed down to one between
Bolshevikism and the spirit of Chris
tan brotherhood.
Never was the Christmas mood and
message more needed than today.
Jesus, the manger-born brother of the
lowly. the lifelong interpreter of man
and God, the champion of all who
suffer. is the one sufficient Reconciler
for our day. He will lead men into
the new era by paths of love and not
of hate He alone can show US how
much stronger and older and more
sacred are the ties of common human
ity which bind us than the barbed
wires OF class which divide US. I'm
der His leadership we can go forward
to q full realization OF the Christmas