South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-08
REV. U.S.. DAVIS
TALKS ON SPIRIT
Tells Congregation Real Mean
ing Of a Spiritual Man
Gives Example.


cred ~ tho first Baptist church sun
day night by DR.. L. s. Davis on
v bat Do we Mean by Spiritual
~. He pointed out the real mean
ing OF spirituality 20 his cOnErega-
zion, and told them that spirituality
does not Necessarily mean sham
hypocrisy but material deeds He
said ia part
It IS strange that there should
he any difference OF opinion as 90
the meaning OF spirituality. Yet
conversation and observation proves
thar people differ widely as 20 what
spirituality il. IN fact no one can
slve a short, terse definition This
follows because spirituality has 20
do with lie Life expresses itself in
30 many ways that there is no def
milton that Is satisfactory. When we
begin 10 link human life up with
divine life our perplexity is in
creased.
Vow the character Of q man isl
expressed through his acts, his tenn
per. his spirit You do not finally
express character in eny particular
deed. The character OF man can
not always be decided by the thing
he says, neither can Il be discovered
by tn occasional thing hc does The
meanest man may give the largest
gifts 20 philanthropy. The most
generous man may save nothing 60
give. The saint may be discovered
i'm some unworthy speech. The
most vulgar man may drop into the
language OF sainthOOd.
a mans character is always re-
vealed IN his disposition. Character
is what a man IS. Doing. saying.
having have no beatitudes. The final
ID. oh -raf- Hes
known only 20 God.
Spirituality OF Jesus.
The world is sure OF one thing
that Jesus was spiritual This is seen
"a his simplicity. He was always
the same simple. transparent, natur-
al person. lie was frank, open,
above board. No semblance Of sell
hshuess. His was the simple life,
he life in which there was no twist.
The serenity OF Jesus impresses US.
Wh.n others seemed 10 be swept by
storms, or moved by excitement He
alone was quiet calm. unmOved.
Then there was the sensitiveness of
Jesus. lie came into the presence Of
no natural emotion which He did not
share. Re was keenly sensitive.
Test Applied 10 self.
How and where shall we apply
the test 10 ourselves to determine
whether we are spiritual Not in any
special time or place but in the or
binary pathway OF life. Not in this
service but tomorrow, in the home
al the breakfast table, in the office
at remnant sale, in a public gath
ering2 How did 1 act? What Will
sSy2 What VIII be the tone, the
temper Cf my life? How viii I act
under certain testing experiences?
How T,ill L act under the test Of
diversity! VIII I give way TO de
pair2 Will | throw up my hands
and quite Were the spiritual heros
cutters? Spiritual power is that
something that rises above adversely
ION q Il C. - obstacles and rises
triumphant over disappointments
and turns them into Gods appoint
ments.
How will / act in the hour Of
prosperity VIII / become arrogant,
grasping, Overbearing? But ] OBJ
serve that spiritual men are benevO-
lent helpful, and kind When the
spirit is supreme men have q fine
air of dignity and self control
1T is not something that is in
contrast with the natural We are
familiar with some OF the laws iu
the natural world. They are fixed.
uxtlnguish fires and always. The
laws OF tho spiritual world are fixed
and Interchangeable. What were once
called miracles in the natural world
are not violations of any law, but
only the Outcropping Of larger laws
which we may not fully understand
The time comes when we Will see
hat the spiritual miracle is only the
operation Of the natural law IN the
spiritual world. To you and me con
version Is a miracle. Regeneration
redemption, salvation and the rcsur-
rection are all miracles. May we
not ind some day that these are all
the expressions of q law in the
spiritual world bringing men to
spirituality.
When we talk about man haN-
ug spirituality we do not mean Ga
say that he is a man of ecstasy and
familiarity with the ghOstly. We
10 not mean the man who goes
through a set form OF worship. That
would make the old time priestcss
our ideal OF ST. -ttuahty. We do not
mean the man y no lives IN poverty
and denies himself the good thing,
OF the world.
Let us remember that II we ar,
SONG 20 be worth while spiritually
we must be worth while materially
spirituality is the art of living In
fellowship with the ideal Material
is the root, spirituality is the flower
10 is soul not body. II is a temper
quality OF life, expressing the