The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-30
The Mystery of the Al


The Mystery of the Ark.
Jerusalem has moved~on to the
front pages of the newspapers. AL
most daily we have dispatches con-
fcerning ztonisIn and Palestine and
the political and military ferment in
and about the "city OF peace" The
most popular illustrated lecture that
| either Great Britain or America has
! known for years has been Lowell
| Thomas's presentation of the Allenby
campaign for the capture Of Jerusa-
! lem. Public interest in the topic
/ seems to grow rather than diminish.
As I myself travel about the land this
year, lecturing, I am asked oftener
about Jerusalem and the war than
about any other one subject. The holy
city is anew the shrine OF human
Ahearts the world around.
And today's Sunday School Lesson
tells the story of how Jerusalem be-
came a religious capital. When King
David took/the Ark of the Covenant
such as the East can display, he then
fixed the status of his stronghold as
the spiritual. shrine of his people, the
/ haven of human, hearts turnout the
ages. All the religious devotion that
4 centers in Jerusalem today is direct
heir of this celebration of the entrance
of the Ark of the Lord into the city.
! East year, at the Jews Wailing
Place in Jerusalem, was more moved
blythe spectacle of a modern and pros
Porous appearing young New York
I Jew. with his<wife and sisters and two
little children. reciting prayers and
/ kfssing e the stones that remain from
ISolon1on's Temple, than I was by the
wailing of the venerable European
Jews who are there PROFESSIONALS No
change in material conditions. and no
IFnodern sophistication, can wean the
human spirit from its innate rever@
enos for and quest after spiritual
things.
Professions of the Centuries.
! American scholars and ignorant
Russian peasants alike journey 10
! Jerusalem at the-iHpulse of religion.
Political zlonism may be aole
fbut the Jerusalem of David and Jesus
will ever be the homeland of faith to
countless millions of reverent souls.
Ones ina gination is stirred by con-
Itenplation of the long succession OF
pilgrImages turnout the ages, from the
visit Of the SHoly Family, the search
iof Queen Helena, and the Crusaders,
down to the entrance of "Allenby's
Crusaders" who have followed in the
train of this triumphal entry Of the
Ark of the Lord into the eternal city.
Deeper than any political allegiance,
deeper than any personal ambitions
deeper than any considerations of ex-
pediency, runs the religious strain in
the spirit of man. IN hours of great
est crises, when the human soul stands
j barred, it's instructive cry is for God
Faith is among the first of human
Qualities and one of the last. From
the babyhdode prayer at a mother
knee to- the last expression of trust
as the fog of death sweeps in from
1.-THE ocean of eternity. man is an in
curably religious animal" No life, ne
estate no nation is we'll established I'M
less its foundations are laid in reu-
gion.
Better Than Political Platforms.
Like the great king that he was
4 David made. worship of Jehovah CEN
trail to his Kingdom. He unified his
is no c6nria en5tie of patriotism greater
than theyfaish OF the fathers. Even
Russia eould@not. be disintegrated BY
1.-THE Bolsheviks until they had out
Ilawed the church; and now,-pepor'
fhas It, they have suspended all anti
men understand the fundamental
lplace that religion has in national life
We are serving our country when we
Iare making the. church strong and
Vital 1t was Kipling who wrote: e
Hold ye the Faith, the Faith our fathers
| sealed us.
Except We pay the Lord, single heart and
single sword,
OF your children In their bondage sinai
he ask them treble-tale."
Nobody will study this old lessor
Alright who does not get from it liv
ing message concerning the vital place
of religion in the life of the nation to-
: day. All that is wrong with US will bt
made right if we return to the Lord ii
humble obedience. Things are wrent
between the nations and between the
classes simply because things are
wrong between men and God. Attic
they seem depressingly unaware of it
the final word for our times lies in tht
keeping of the Christian people Il
whom has been committed the Ark o.
the Lord. Let it be said most explicit
ly that every man or woman VINO ii
helping to build up local church II
. vital applied religion Is doing the mos
definite and direct form of patriotic
kaerviee. Teaching a Sunday sehoo
selass efficiently is as true an evidenced
eff patriotism as carrying gun in tht
Y Irrational army. When we enshrine tbs
Ark in the country's life we are max
ing strong our people.
Is Tho Ark of Mystery.
This gold-eovered wooden ches
which David escorted with such Joy
and honor to its tent in Jerusalem is<s
theme OF perennial interest. The read
l26r may well turn TO the description OF
! tits construction as given in the Book
of Exodus, chapter rs.
This Ark represented the presence
of jehovah. It is the type of Hi:
Spirit. Israel kept it within the holy
; of holes Of the tabernacle and later
of the temple. 1t was the most sacred
possession of the Jewish peeple. {
symbol of the reality and favor OF
God. It sometimes led the hosts OF
Israel in battle. even as it crossed evel
the Jordan and around the walls o.
| Jericho.
After the capture of the city of Jeru.
salafn by Northumberland there is M
trace Of the Ark Conjecture has al.
ways been rife as to its fate. That i
II should have been absolutely destroyed
Il lis scarcely thiHkable. I found thG
/ ARABS on Mt. Nebo holding a tradition