The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-13
(By w. t. ElIis.)

1 10y w. l1itibJ
| In the east beggars abound Many
/ are of a squalor and abJectness thai
passes the knowledge of the west. II
Is fayorite device in Egypt for beg
| ging children to go about almost entire
f! W naked. Another trick Is for them
to sit hunched up In rags, head between
knees, in apparently speeches. misery
alongside OF a wall on d popular thor
oughfare. The prevalence OF mendi
cancy in these Oldest parts OF the
world Is one OF the sights that sadden
travellers. eyes; Jesus knew these beg:
CARS, and healed some of them. But
he never held them up as type OF
prayer.
That is an important point to per-
ceive in taking UP the old. yet ever
exhaustless subject OF prayer. All our
understanding of prayer depends upon
cy. God never portrayed his children
as beggars at his gate. He Is not a
detached. impersonal giver OF aims. The
attitude of the person who prays Is
rather that, OF child toward a father,
OF his unfathomable bounty. God has
given man the right to a filial relation
ship with himself. He abates no jot
of his effable sovereignty: nevertheless,
he teaches us to say "Our Father"
Over and over again his tender truth
is taught. The analogy of the parent is
employed to make clear the idea that
Gods thoughts toward us are father
thoughts: that he seeks from us the
loving. dependent relationship OF. chill
dren. Like as a father pitieth his
children. SO the Lord pitieth them that
turning, as naturally. properly and in
stinctively as children to a father, to
One whose love is as great as his
power; and who has Joy in granting
the requests of his children.
The up-Looklns Life.
to. !" Look " up. lit up" That IT. is to say.
ability for service results from deyo-
ton. Prayer precedes power. 1t is the
up-looking life. the one that views all
experiences in their heavenward re-
lationship, which walks most serenely
and helpfuly among men. Prayer is
an act; but 1t is also an attitude--thee
Godward turning of the soul at all
times, This spirit revereptly and mod
estly takes God into account in its daily
affairs. Nothing happens" to t; all
dence.
Would we know the secret of the
placid, beautiful faces that we occa-
sionally meet; of the spirits that are
unruffled by the daily trials; OF the Joy
that does not languish on the dreariest
road? This is the answer: These are
the upward Hooking souls. Their sense
of God is so real, and He is to them
so near, that nothing less. matters Vi
tally. They are at peace, because they
continual looking unto Jesus"
Only yesterday. off here in Egypt. !
visited a veteran American missionary
who is confined to his bed by illness.
1t CHANGED to be a day of great 'anxi-
ETY. for him, as for his associates. There
have been developments in the Egyp-
ton crisis that may turn the native
sentiment against all things American.
to the serious injury OF the mission
work that has been building up for
three quarters of a century. Was that
veteran excited or fretted? Not at all.
His smile was as serene, his face as
untroubled as has been his wont
throughout the years. He has watch
full eye upon current events; but he also
has trustful eye upon the Ruler OF
fully among men because he. talks con-
fidently with his Father in heaven.
Getting Relations Right
Perhaps some practical persons say
that this is dry" subject that the
international committee has assigned
er have a discussion of current prob
lens. Wait a moment. Much as l
should like to see all intelligent persons
aware of the world and the current
Vexatious questions, hard as ! am
working TO interpret fairly and without
bias the complex and ominous near
eastern situation. / say frankly that 1
deem IL of far more practical impor-
lance for people to get fresh hold
upon the reality of God than TO master
all the intricacies of Oriental statecraft;
and ! would do or say anything within
my power that would send Christian
people to their knees in renewed devo-
ton. There is no measure in the uni
verse more practical at the present
time than that men and women should
pray, pray without ceasing." Only as
we lay hold on God can we get any
mastery OF social and political condi-
lions that grow more ominous.
II there is one bad idea that ought
not to persist after the world war II is
that more physical force is the ulti-
mate solution of problems. That Is
pagan notion, which should have dis
appeared from the present generation
broken. This belief in the omnipotence
OF the guns is one of the worlds great
est dangers. So is trust in mere state
craft and worldly guile. What mud,
die these have made of the nations.
From this angle il seems to- be growing
worse instead Of better.
Our times are out Of joint The ma,
chinery OF civilization is knocking ana
banging and rafting. Something has
gone wrong What is it? Nothing less
than II lacks adjustment to the Cen
ter once let the world get right WIN
God. and it will straightway get right
with itself. A fresh consciousness OF
spiritual obligations and relationships
would solve all our questions. re-
turn TO God would be a return to SAN
ity and safety. II we could only get
men 10 saying together, IN sincerity,
Our Father" there would be no peed