The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-04-04

With the world still far from peace, with strife
and anarchy threatening on every side, with the
forces OF evil struggling to overthrow the forces Of
good the world today enters upon the Eastertide-I
the most poignanty beautiful Of all the church
seasons
With the head OF this government stin weakened
from long seige Of illness; with the senate these
United States in condition that borders upon
chaos; with state and municipal politics In the
throes of reconstruction. come today to that
season when the enemy challenges US to lift up
our eyes unto the hills" instead of looking down
into the abysmal morass that seems to threaten
every forward step seek to take.
But. with peace held in allegiance and anarchy
threatening; with politics seething like witchs
cauldron and with business threatening with under
mining by the forces of the Red armies, the Lord
has indeed lifted up his standard against the
N.Y." that agent of darkness who seeks to over
throw His Kingdom
Never in all history has there been such relig-
ious awakening as in the past few years. since Ger
many, seeking to make of a Berlin a Road to
Paris, set torch to the world that still flaming.
In the light of that flame no one who will life
up his eyes fail to the Cross Of Christ
Jesus shining out with supernal glory.
! Whatever choose to call this spiritual awak-
ening, it is here. The old garments. the grave
clothes of creeds and dogmas have been folded
away, the stone that blocked the sepulchre has
moved by angel hands. and the Lord. the Savior OF
| the World has been revealed unto all men,
/ Some have come long ways to find Him. doubling.
like Thomas-askng that they may be permitted To
place finger in that wounded sde to know in some
material way that He is Risen indeed. Others have
come early, when yet the dew was on the grass.
like Mary Masdalene, to find where the Lord has
lain; and Others. like that other Mary, the Mother
of Christ have come with streaming eyes and
breaking hearts. to find the Son, whom Death has
| taken
But however they come. doubling and yet won
derng; loving and yet fearing broken-hearted and
yet hoping, find that the stone has been rolled
from the sepulchre, and that Lord is not dead.
but Lveth
1t is to this that cling this Easter morning
the promise not only of the Risen Lord but of the
Living Sacrifice. 1t is the thought of Life the as
surance of a rnew birth unto righteousness" to
which the world is holding close. How otherwise
could the world heart beat without breaking?
| The war has shaken the universe to its very cen
ter. Men who have before thought on spiritual
things, holding out their hands for mama from
heaven; Men who have sought God long are find
ing in strange places-and those who have followed
their Lord along paths that have been hard, have
looked up to find Him walking with Them helping
them to bear the Cross
| The New Psychology is with us; and we have
suddenly looked upon it, face to face and To- we
have found with the psalmst. that there is moth
ing under the sum-" and that all that is good in
the new is with US in the old-but the grave
clothes have been laid aside the stone has been
rolled away and we have looked upon the living
Lord.
Some Of like Simon Peter, and want to
be first with the Master. These are they who
cling to the old dogmas, who having known the
power and the Glory of the Living Word are not
willing that any others should know of the Mas
ter that which they do choose to believe: others
are like to that doubling Thomas and to those tha
Master is giving signs. saying: Reach hither thy
finger and behold my hands; and reach hither the
hand and thrust it into my side be not faith
less but believing" And the Sir Oliver Lodges
and the Conan Doyles of the world, before this
miracle of the Risen Lord are standing back
aghast and saying in all amazement and reverence:
My Lord and My God"
Others like the Beloved Disciple having gone
with Him. long and humbly. follow STILL remem-
berins his admoniton: Let not your heart be
troubled; neither let it be afraid"
Verify verify. say unto you. that ye shall weep
and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ya
shall be sorrowing but your sorrow shall be turned
into JOY"
| How we doubt this promise? We who have
been privileged to work suffer through this
period of the worlds most terrific travail of body
and spirit? How can we who hear the millions of
voices, the very stones in the Streets giving testi-
mony of His coming. how can we doubt that
| Death is vanguished. Man is free?"
/ We do not need to stretch forth our hands and
thrust 1t into the wounds, do not need to see
the stone that barred the sepulchre or to look
upon the grave clothes of the Risen Christ It is
enough for to the prints his bleeding foot
steps. the stripes with which are healed 1t is
enough for to see His Cross lifted high. a
standard against the forces of evil and to hear his
promise: 4 am the Resurrection and the Life"-C
NJ Robinson.