Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-22
SUNDAY. DECEMBER %. 1918
cHRIsrMAs-A LAY SERMON.


With the recurrence Of Christmas
and its gladncss and meriymaking. il
is worth while for ms 10 give little
thought 10 what Christianity means
to the world--to the people who i've
now on the earth, to the countless
millions who have preceded us, and
10 the countless millions who will
come after us and in their turn be
consigned TO the dust whence their
bodies came
In grateful remembrance of the
benefits conferred by them, nations
have the habit of celebrating the birth
Of their greatest men. The people of
the United States honor the memory
of George Washington, father of his
country" and the memory of Abra-
ham Lincoln, prescrver of the union
OF states.
But the whole Christian world ccle-
brates the birth of Jesus Christ as the
savior Of mankind. Considered from
a purely secular standpoint, the birth
and life and death of Jesus and the
influence His words and deeds have
eXerted in the hearts of men consti
tute an ineXplicable marvel
Of the supernatural origin of Jesus,
rationalists have doubts or frank dis
belief; but the work wrought by Him
cannot be explained on any other by
pothess. Possibly most ofsus may
read and fit TO ourselves the words
in the viii of the French philosopher,
statesman and historian, Gufzot:
Words From Guizot's VIII.
81 have inquired 7 have doubted: ]
have believed in the sufficiency of the
human mind to resolve the problems
presented To it by the universe and by
man, and in the power of the human
will to govern mans life in accord
ance with its law and its moral pur
pose. After having lived, doubted and
reflected long, have remained and
still remain convinced that neither
the universe nor man suffice either
to explain or 10 govern themselves
naturally by tho mere force of fixed
laws to which they are subject, and
Of human Wills that are brought into
play.
"Still firmly attached to reason and
liberty, which | have received from
God, and which are my honor and my
right in this world. have returned to-
feel myself a child under the hand
Of God. sincerely resigned to my large
share Of weakness and ignorance, |
-. t., I,
out seeking to comprehend Him. i
recognize Him present and at work.
not only in the fixed system of the
universe and in the inner life of the
soul, but also in the history of hui
man society, specially in the Old and
New staments-monument of rev
citation and divine action by the med
iation and sacrifice of our Savior,
Jesus Christ. for the salvation of the
human race"
In the days of our perpleXty, the
statement OF man who ranks sol
high as a thinker and door becomes
of profound significance. He believ-
ed that he had found the secret of
life in the simple faith which he had
received when he was a child.
Christ in Diplomacy.
But we may point to another direct
influence of Christianity at this mo-
ment. Lloyd George, himself a de-
vout Christian, has just reminded usi
that the principles of eternal JUS
tice" must reign at the peace settle
ment. He makes this statement;
we must not allow any sense OIL
revenge, any spirit of greed, any
grasping desires to override the prin-
ciples Of fundamental righteousness.
We must relentlessly set
our faces against any attempt tot
make us part from the strict prnci
pies of right TO satisfy any base, sor
did. squalid ideas of vengeance or of
avarice."
In the early stages of the war there
was much talk of the failure of Chris
tianty in the hour of need, but here
it is dominant in the hour of triumph
1t gives confidence that perhaps, af-
ter all, Thine is the kingdom and the
power and the glory" For we are
teachings of the Founder of Chris
tianity, to return good for evil, tol
feed the hungry, and TO do unto 9TH
ers as we would that others should
do unto us.
If Christianity now is to be actually
put into practice, may it not lead
TO quite another end, that of peace
on earth, good will to men?" If such
is the case, we may not hear the an
gels sing their joy over the outcome,
but the songs of delivered and hap
py humanity will surely be heard
throughout the long ages to come.
Worth Trying Out.
The discipline of religion is essen