Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-05-29

ourselves 60 be good Co others. This
makes the ntlghborhood Christian.
H.. The >elghboriy Church. ticts .; ~.
~.
Very early In Christian history the
principles n nclghborliness which .ic.
sus taRuht same into action. Many of
tho believers IN Jerusalem fell Into deep
poverty and need. What caused this II
o. muttcr NJ conjecture. bu, It IN not an
unreasonable superstition that many OF
the members ~ the church We're cut of
run receiving thu help which they had
been getting from their Jewish friends.
By confossing Christ they had come b.
be- regarded as aliens. and probably
Wer, put cut 81 the synn.ugucs. Fur
,hcr, u may be- that others lost their
positions and involuntarlaly were for a
time made dependent upon the kind
nosscs II others However IL came
about. the situation was distressing. II
IN beautiful To- secc how these early dis.
ciplos rose To- the occasion. They made
common fund To- which all contgibu
ted. They did not hold hack their own,
Tut gave Il in To the general good.
Some who were wcolthy must have
made considerable sacrifices 60 do this
parnahas was conspicuous example
tie sccms voluntarily Ia have done
what Jesus proposed ~ test 10 the rich
Young ruler who filled Ia meet ~ We
must not lose the point and value of
this generous action hy wandering
aaway into a discussion whether this
kind oi communism IL binding upon
oyery church In every age. Certainly
there H. No law a. that effect. and Il IL
easy IN see that In many eases. per
haps most cases. the needs % such eN'
tfaordinnry sacrifice does not exist,
But IN whatever instances the need
does arise, the principle should be
adopted and worked out.
No community ought 10 suffer ablcct
rovcrty to remain within It. As n rule.
except under cases ~ famine "A gcner'
~ distress there Is enough To take care
II It's members. Two problems arise.
First IL all. that OF willingness. and
then that of distribution. We see that
this early church at Jerusalem boauti.
fully met bath of thcs. conditions.
They were willing To- divide. and they
divided cduIian,y ANA with wise at,en'
tiun Co details,
II IL no, surprising that dpon n
church so generous. rich spiritual hles'
ang was poured out. II IL ever So.
Tn. giving church.as n rule, IN the
spiritual church. blessings abound "a
hose who show themselves qualified a.
distribute blessings. II n not what we
r.tain and use ON ourselves. hut what
W eput forth and usc upon others that
n make our churchm spiritual and
blessed In It's growth and power. The
onurch IL not called upon u support
Tile bodied men IN idlcsness. nor 10 en-
courage the tramp cvil by unwise dona'
lion. Paul told the Thessalonians tha,
a man would not work no ought not
o be allowed "a eat. A little starvation
N good Tor tramp. hut on the other
hand. the churches In any given com
nunity ought To see 60 II not only that
distress IL relieved but that the neigh
l,orhood IL uplifted and guided into the
practice 81 the neirhborly virtues. DE
| = otlon To- Christ and care for one anoth'
er vii make any ncighhorhood Christ
ian.
I. wha, II your Idea 81 good neigh
Tor, Recall to your own mind actions
and n.rsons which illustrate your Idea
9. Are YOU good nelghbor, and j.
your neighborhood better or worse be
cause you live In u,
.. Let each one Of US seriously think