The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-12
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
For September II is. THE Future
Life."-Matt. 25:3I-4e.
BIZ WILLIAM 7. ELLIS.

Olives. The hillsides east of Jerusalem
are covered with the graves Of devout
Jews. For more than two months
dwelt in Egypt, the land of graves;
and L have ne again to the tradi-
tional Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Even if 1 would / could not confine
my present thinking only to the prob
lens of the living.
! Most soldier graves are marked
with crosses. Some deep religious in
stinct has expressed itself thru all the
armies; that above the fallen is
placed the symbol of sacrifice and of
victory over death. Every cross
crowned grave seems to echo the mes
sage of the Saviour who died that man
might live again-"because I live, We
shall live also" The faith that under,
lies all Christian creeds has given its
testimony by the graves of our fallen
heroes.
Once participated in battle bur-
ial in France, conducted Jointly by
Catholic and Protestant clergymen,
both French and American, with Y.
NJ c. A men in reserve. When we
stand by the grave we are one in our
deepest conviction that the hope of
Immortality is best expressed by the
cross of Christ.
Is Grave the End of the Road?
War and influenza have sown the
hearth with graves as perhaps never be-
fore within so short a period of time.
Alas, many bereaved hearts see only
question mark at the head of the
/ graves, and miss the cross. That is
why current literature abounds in dis
cussions Of the old, old question of
| immortality.
! Newspapers echo the cry of the
| stricken mourners for
THE touch Of a vanished hand.
l And the sound Of voice that is still"
Spiritualism has newly emerged as a
cult which at least gets wide publicity,
| even II it does not secure a great fol-
| lowing Lonely souls covet some re-
assurance from their dear dead.
In his new book of poems, THE
Years Between" which contains more
than one heart-broken cry from the
| poet-father bereaved Of his only son,
Mr.. Kipling deals with spiritualism
| clusion of which is
"Oh the road to En-dor is the oldest road
And the craziest road of all!
Straight II runs to the Witch's abode,
AS it did in the days of Saul
And nothing has changed Of the sorrow
For such az go down on the road to
In this new book Mr. Kipling's
faith sounds a clearer, simpler note
than may be found in his earlier
work; the great hour of humanity
! has driven him into the arms of the
I
/ Son for the sacred Cause. He is one
of the mighty host who have emerged
J from the supreme ordeal with tear
washed eyes which see beyond the
grave the eternal life in the presence
OF God.
Wars Greatest Victory.
! II Christendom has not in its spirit
won a victory over the fear OF death,
| then victory by arms means little. 1
| never met or heard of a battlefield
! soldier who did not believe in immor-
| tality. That great experience of sur
rendering the body to danger or death
| seemed to clarity and simplify mems
| judgment. The mighty and eternal
things doomed large; the petty and
| over-sophisticated trivialities of our
time simply seemed nonresident
Life has for US a fuller destiny
In face of the material engross-
! ments which now threaten us like
flood we need to hold fast TO the ever
/ lasting truth that
! "It is not all of life to live.
| Nor all of death TO die"
Grief needs more than diversion: it
! calls for comfort Ambition cannot
really be satisfied with automobiles
and luxuries. Labor will not be con-
tent to accept merely higher wages as
the reward of its vital expenditure
Cheaper food and other necessities
will not meet the ultimate needs Of
the people. Political and economic
| reconstruction do not fulfill the long
| ings of the universal heart
In a word, people today want high
err satisfactio1s than are commonly
held out to them. In our sacrifices
and services for the prosecution If
the war we reached a lofty level of
life: discovered new capacities in oIr-
selves; got glimpses of the glory pos
~
more OF the same. We would breathe
always the air of that elevated plane
of living which seemed to prove US
to be the sons and daughters of i'm
mortality.
The Great Hope.
1t was easy to believe in brother
hood while sharing the, comradeship
of the army in France. Altruism
seemed normal as we toiled at home
in the holy cause of patriotism. Stand
ing on that level, why may we not
look still higher and realize that God's
plan for human souls is Just this ex-
allied and purified spirit OF life, which
Is ever discovering and practicing
new and noble inner resources? Cod
revealed thought for man is that he
shall live always, in ever-increasing
degree. by these heavenly standards
Humanity's capacity for soul-great-
ness, as proved by the war, is only
one OF the things which eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard" which God has
prepared for those who love him.
Right at this point 1 was inter-
rupted in the writing Of this article
and in the three hours that have in
tervened have heard from two
friends upon the very theme of the
| Lesson One. a minister, told of his
presence at an operation upon the lit
tie daughter of a parishioner. a child
| OF arrested growth The operation was
successful. Upon coming out of the
anesthetic the child saw her father
and as she reached forth her arms
she heard the sweet words, Now you
are to grow up to be big" That, said
the preacher. Is like death: a brief
period of Inconsistencies: some won
derful transformation by the Good
Physician. and then the ANS of the