The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-19


| Tie Paradox of Power.
A worId-traveler is surprised to dis
cover so many of his fellow-country-
men abroad. He finds them scattered
everywhere. At home he had scarcely
| heard of these outreaching organiza-
tions of religion, altruism and COM
| merce and science. 1t is thought
/ guises in which a Christian nation goes
into all the world.
Deeper consideration and wider
observation reveals the significant
| truth that these men and women
whose personalities are invested in far
lands exercise a greater influence than
would have been theirs in the home
land. AS the weight on a. scale multi
plies its power the further out on the
beam it is placed, a pound of iron two
feet out on the scale represents a hum
dred pounds on the platform, so in the
same way a single character distant
from base, possesses aCmultiplied pow
err entirely disproportionate to its own
inherent capabilities. In other words
the men and women who have flung
their lives farthest count for the most.
What is that but the paradox of
power set forth by Jesus when COM
missioning His apostles: ITO save
your life is to lose 1t, and to lose your
life for My sake is to save it," The
Twelve gave UP their jobs-"left all, "
and followed the new Teacher. Lo,
these commonplace men, whose lden-
tity in natural course would not nave
survived two generations in their own
unnoted neighborhoods, have become
leaders of history's immortals. On so
low a plane as mere material memo
rails, there are more statues of the
apostles to be found on earth today
than of all the other great ones OF MS
tory combined. More buildings and
organiza tions bear their names than
the names of the entire aggregation of
kings and eonquerors and heroes. And
all because they had the nerve and
vision and the loyalty to sacrifice
everything else for the discipleship Of
Jesus Christ.
God Bless the Fools!
"Fools!" their prudent neighbors
called them; but who remembers
these sapient neighbors, except in the
reflected light of the reckless fools %
May God send to our own unled and
unilluminated day, with its material
ism and selfishness beyond reckon
ing, more such fools" to deliver u.s.
Curtis Hidden Page once wrote;
zone fool sailed westward till he found a
one found new worlds within the mind
The cynics called Columbus charlatan
And burned Giordano Bruno! =.
Who unfurled
1.-THE heavens like a scroll, that men
INT foolish CALLED? Who began
Our new free art and thought and social
plan,
But that poor outcast, crazy 1901, hous-
Seau?
There is one toast the future ages drink
Standing To those who dare rush in,
Those who defy all rights and break all
Who fight impossible battles, and who
think
True thoughts-at whom with one accord,
The fooisH THE foolsr THE fools. =
God bless the fools.'"
A few weeks ago there was wit
messed in Philadelphia the funeral OF
a minister who had turned his back
upon worldly and ecclesiastical hon
orS; who was never seen at Soclai
gatherings of the clergy; who literally
mad no life except the service of the
people of his teeming parish. Every
body IN the neighborhood knew that
Doctor Skillman could be called out OF
his bed at any hour of the night to
render service of whatever sort was
needed. He literally "emptied him
SELF like his Master; for he was
come not to be ministered unto, but
to minister Long before he died the
paper discovered him thru his selfless
service; but he himself would provide
them with no copy" The unique out
pouring at his funeral was a demon
stration that he had been in true apos-
tolic succession, an inheritor of the
commission and Spirit of the Twelve.
Ministers and Money.
What the mass of us think of most
importance today, Jesus babe the apos-
ties ignore. Money. raiment, food,
safety-for these they were to take
no thought. 1t may be laid down as
a general truth that the disciple who
would be Christ's man to the uttermost
must have a measure of disdain for
the temporalities. Prudential consid-
erations may not be first in his mind
When the size of the salary is the first
factor in pastoral call. then the
call Is from some other source than
heaven. Some few ministers of the
Gospel are successful in money max
ing: but have never known one such
who was at the same time successful
in spiritual service.
God forbid that the time should ever
come when young men will become
cIergynen because the calling is easily
and inexpensfveIy entered, and prom
ises an assured and comfortable ive!i-
hood For then the apostalate would
perish. Whosoever would follow Chrlst
in discipleship must enter by the door
of denial and put his back permanently
under a cross of sacrifice. Horatlus
fury ago:
$50 labor on: spend and be spent,
Thy joy to do the Fathers Will;
1t Is the way the Master went; 80
should not the servant tread 1t still?
|,
go. labor on: its not for naught:
Thv earthly loss is heavenly gain
Men heed thee, love thee. praise thee not :
The Master praises What are mem:
That principle does not relieve
parsimonious Christians from paying
living salaries to their pastors. I have
been dealing with the ministers
motives and mission Equally clear IS
it the duty of the church to provide
adequately for the messenger of God
Dire was the fate predicted by the
Master for the house and community
which would not properly entertain
the apostle. Again He declared
Every one who receives prophet, be-
cause he is a prophet. will receive
nrophet's reward" Surely. one rea-
zo,, why so many conversations are