The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-10
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

1 By WILLIAM T.. ELLIS
For January IL is Moses, the Leader
: of Israel"-Exodus 3:1-4: H.
Back From the Bushes.
taught pacifists are now lifting up
their voices to tell us how to. run
the world, the. lesson has really been
learned by mankind in the war that
safety is not first; that pain is not
the worst peril; that death is more
desirable than dishonor; and that the
right is more precious than peace
Craven consideration for the carcass.
which is the essence. of pacifism. has
been repudiated by our gallant SOL
diers, who loved honor and duty and
patriotism and righteousness more
than the prolongation of their own
existence.
We are in mood to study about
Moses. the first patriot who dared to
strike blow for the sake of the OPP
pressed. When Moses, palace-trained.
but a Hebrew to the last drop of his
blood. saw an Egyptian shifting
Jewish slave, he did the natural.
manly and chivalrous thing. and felled
the tyrant with blow. Evidently in
his prfncely training. Moses had not
known the sufferings of his people.
the plight of the poor, all his noble
manhood surged up in protest. The
simple explanation for the continu-
alice of many wrongs in the earth
is that the exempt and favored few
have not really known or felt them.
Wise with the wisdom of Moses is the
young man or woman who invests
his or her life in the service of the
unfortunate, and makes common
cause with the masses.
Right at the outset Moses found
the disheartening condition which
ultimately drives every faddist and
shallow sentimentalist out of benev-
client activity. The persons whom he
sought to help did not appreciate him.
When he interviewed between two
quarrelling Hebrews. they scorned
him and betrayed him as the SLAYER of
a hard blow for the patriotic ardor of
the young reformer. 1t was bitter
discovery. Many persons have felt
exempted from further charitable
service because they have found that
not all Belgians are grateful: that
some Armenians are unworthy; that
there are impostors among the
Syrians; that certain Ottoman Greeks
are capitalizing their misfortunes; that
the poor generally are unappreciative.
This is shallow thinking. If help were
to be given only to the wholly worthy
ana lndnkIul, pLiIdnlHTOpy anu re-
form would cease. God is kind to
the evil and the unthankful." Moses.
like most of US, had a hard time learn
ing how to be patient with the pro-
voking people who did not deserve his
service.
knights for New Days.
Our day has arrived at the Moses
mood, of quick, hard blows at popu-
lar evils. He rode forth righting
wrongs. His attitude toward all in
Justice and oppression was that of
the knights of the new day. All the
world is waking up to the conviction
that wrongs are not to be endured,
but to be remedied. Patriotism ex-
presses itself in fearless champion
ship Of all who suffer. We have seen
shining examples of zeal for their own
countrymen, and for the universal lib
erty, by the Czechs and Rumanians
and Slavs who are in exile from their
homelands. They are of the Moses
type :
This passion for human rights,
which has made Moses vital factor
in our own day. and caused his laws
to be the buttress and hope of lib
erty everywhere, has come to new
power since the war. Millions of SOL
diers have had long. long thoughts
concerning it; for it is the cause to
the recent remarkable celebration at
Philadelphia of the signing of a
declaration of independence by the
middle European nations. when q new
liberty bell was unveiled, a Jewish
speaker reminded the people that the
message of the bell, and of the cause,
came from the law of Moses-"Pro-
claim liberty truout the land, and
unto ali the Inhabitants thereto" No
dv hox irf In
liberty without acknowledging his debt
to Moses.
Tranquility is no longer a goal #
life. Soldiers have taught us that
truths tumult is better than errors
ease. Moses would have. missed life
had he remained in the palace; he
achieved manhood. and succeeded by
striking a blow, an audacious. risky
blow. for freedom. The persons whose
chief fear is that they may be un-
popular or uncomfortable have not
much standing in tee world today.
Timorous shrinking from criticism
gets scant respect or consideration In
these times we award all palms to the
fearless champions of conviction, who
are willing to affront tradition pnd
conyentio 1. il only. they may help
make and keep the world free. There
are two classes of people in the world
The few who do things, and the many
who talk about those who do things
As we stand with Moses, Gods fight
ing man. let us learn the great lesson
OF courage for Righteousness sake.
Into the Desert
British military railways now thread
the desert that stretches between the
palace home of Moses and the tents
of Horeb. to which he fed, when he
learned that he was known as the
ell Z
made the flight in an aeropIane from
Cairo to Jerusalem in four hours. Ere
these words are printed I shall be
well on. my way to Palestine, for z
last look ct Bible tim es. before civil.
ization effaces them forever. The
desert and its splendid thought-com.
pelling isolation is doomed. Instead
I suppose. we shall retreat for medi-
tat.on to the distapt heights above the
| clouds.
Ii does saann e u q araa4 aa...-4 -.