The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-23
THE CHRISTMAS VISION
BY William E. Clark, Minister First Unitarian Church

Every mind has It's habits. Mine
has the habit of inquiry and applica-
ton. When a subject Is presented,
my mind automatically asks, What
is II, and how will 1t affect man
kind?"
other minds. probably most minds,
are poetical. They are moved by Wis
ions Of the mysterious and the beau
tiful. But all minds, whether poetic
or practical, are moved by the
Christmas vision; because it is both
poetry and fact-un inspiring vision,
based on fact,
And I am thinking Of universal
fact that is older than the story OF
Jesus. ! am thinking OF that because
want these words to be of help. as
we'll to those who do not, as to those
who do accept the sSory Of Jesus,
born that winter night in Bethlehem
when the bright star Sirius, blazing
in the southern sky, reached its sta
ton on the meridian line.
For many years prior to the birth
Of Jesus, II had been the custom to
Celebdate the 25th OF December as
the nativity of the sun. On that day,
the sun, having reached the very
lowest point of his course, started
back on his annual journey that in
a few months would warm the earth
and send vegetation forth to supply
the needs OF man and beast.
BY observing the fact that Sirius
always stood directly on the meridian
at midnight, at that period OF the
world, the wise men could inspire the
people with hope that the sun would
again bless the earth, that God would
not let the world be destroyed.
Only man has visions of better
things. Animals eat and fatten. toll
and strive, grow old and die. They
pluck the meadow grass and the timid
buds that come from the dry and
seemingly lifeless trees on the first
warm DAYS of spring, They prey upon
one another to satisfy the pangs OF
hunger. without their knowledge, the
grass and buds, flesh and herbs and
fruits they eat, are transmitted into
bone and flesh. and blood When
their hunger is satisfied, they lie
down and sleep in undermining and
consciousness content
And when animals awake, 1t is only
to eat, and then when satisfied, to
go to sleep again. They have cum
ming, skill, perseverance, intelllgence,
memory or at least instinct, affection
and, to a limited degree, foresight;
but they have no dreams. They are
never moved by the ideal. They are
never led on through days filled with
irksome toll, and sleepless nights, in
pursuit of the true, the beautiful and
the good. Animals are of the earth,
earthly.
All stars look alike to them. They
flnunPC "a
They make no images. They have
no art, they build no houses, except
to sleep in and use as a shelter for
their young. So far as we know,
animals are doomed to life without
its wonder, its poetry its reverence,
Its visions of beauty and its trans
cendant joys.
h OF all the animals, man alone Is
the dreamer: man alone has visions
OF what is not, but may be: man
alone dreams of the ideal, and then
labors to make that ideal true Man
alone, observes the stars in their
courses to get Gods message that,
although wrapped in winters deadly
FROST vet the earth will not die; sum-
mer will come again. and with It the
fragrance OF the flowers announcing
the food, Of which they are the her
aluS or messengers of Almighty God
Man alone Has Imagination. Upon
its wings. he visits all the past, and
lives again the life of generations
long since turned to dust He walks
the powered paths OF Eden, where
ignorance and innocence first awake
TO find that life is struggle, He
sees the great migrations that crept
westward to the sea. BY the wolf
nursed children, he stands. and with
them POUNDS the seven-hilled city;
and watches the cohorts of Caesar
conquer the world
BY his Imagination, man beholds
Babylon and Carthage and Thebes
rise from the sepulcher of the cen
turtles, put on their vanished splen-
cor and then fade again into forget
fulness. and decay. He hears the
cry, the gurgling of the
slain With the executioners, he
visits the dungeon and sees the
great Socrates drink the fatal hem
lock rather Nan prove false and rec-
reant TO hfs Soul, He stands again
IN the mapger at Bethlehem where