The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-25

/, that Moslems and Christians clash; but
| both unite TO oppose the jews, because
| OF Zlonism, who. In turn, are split up
into irreconcilable parties; and Greek
| against the Latins. or Roman catho-
| lies; and both are rivals OF the Grego-
rians. or Armenians, and the Gopts.
| There are other sects and sub-sects
here. and they all quarrel one with an
other. A few weeks ago there was a
| night, at Easter. between rival Chris
tians in the Church OF the Holy Sep
lulchre.
Nevertheless. there are nobler and
wider Influences at work. There is
abroad in Europe and the Near East
Just now a commission of American
churchmen. extending invitations to a
world conference on Christian unity.
They report the rise OF new spirit
OF eagerness and oneness and cessa-
ton OF strife and for a return TO the
worship OF God Himself There are
tokens on the horizon that churchianity
and sectarianism and narrowness are
on the wane; and that the world will
turn in simplicity and reverence to the
worship OF God and His Son, who are
in all churches and beyond all churches.
When we come TO the hour for scrap
ping our ecclesiastical machinery 1t
will be to the text, God is a Spirit;
and they that worship Him must wor-
ship Him in spirit and In truth"
From Sinai to Zion.
Recently | have been at Mount ST.
mai, where Jehovah. the universal Law
maker revealed Himself; now / am at
Mount Zion. where Jehovah. the Father,
and the Saviour revealed Himself.
Amid these scenes, trodden by the feet
| OF Gods prophets OF old. and by His
beloved Son. / have got new sense
OF the greatness OF God Himself and OF
His program for the world. The vast
ness of the divine design, at which
Jesus could only hint in his talk with
the Samaritan woman, is appearing
in our time. We behold nations in a
ferment which is primarily spiritual.
At bottom. the worlds unrest is a
reaching out after Satisfaction which
is really of the soul. Mankind's wants
are many; it's need is one-to know
God. the living and the true. We shall
not be satisfied until we find Him who
is the SOULS eternal quest
The place and the manner OF worship
matter little. In the center of Sinais
sublime and simple grandeur, l found
the monks spending four or i've hours a
day. amid fnnumeraDle lamps and
icons, incense and forms, worshipping
by an ancient ritual. 1t was impress
sive; but not so much so as the bare
and majestic granite mountains where
in God spoke to Moses and to Elijah.
Likewise. there is something really re-
pellant in The overlay of ecclesiasticism
here in Jerusalem. where the spiritual
SENS hidden by the formal An
American missionary said to me last
evening, 1.-THE more have seen OF
Journalism and ecclesiasticism In Jeru-
salem, with its superstitions and its
sites and its strife, the more / believe
in the simple, spiritual faith of the
Quakers
time or other longed to visit jerusalem;
yet from Jerusalem I repeat that God
is a spirit; and they that worship Him
must worship Him In spirit and In
truth" Not the place, but the purpose;
not the FORM but the faith; not the
words, but the WILL determine accept
able worship.
Where Al Wants Are Met.
AllAAmericans abroad have wistful
interest in the homeland. With the
meagre facts in their possession they
consider and discuss the trend OF
events back hor'" few OF us were
liking recently about the praiseworthy
get-together campaign OF the churches,
and the concerted movement to raise
all their benevolent funds as one ma
tional budget. Said one who is wise
in the things OF the spirit as well as in
the ways of the world, "America's real
need is not for more money for re-
iigion, or for better ways of securing
money for religion. In our mission
work we understand as perhaps the
homefolks cannot, the need of money
But there is something more impor-
tant. 1t seems to me that the churches
are magnifying organization and ap-
planes and wealth, whereas 1t is
spiritual replenishing, spiritual re-
birth, a spiritual passion. that this
hour requires above all else. One great
voice. calling the people back to sense
of God. would be worth more than any
new organization,
What was that mans opinion, spoken