The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-03-06
The business of Being n Christian
HY MEADE v. DUTT
Of NM lnrIaIlAn lMMrlh.


of FIRST christian church.
Phil 3:I3-1i.--"One thing do.
forgetting tho things which arc
behind. and stretching forward 10
the things which are before. !
press on toward the goal unto
the prize of tho high calling or
God IN christ Jesus
Christian' Possibly there Is no
term i'm tho English language more
abused. II is mado TO cover every
thing from the cloak outward 70 the
heart inward. ~ h. AN cpithet OF
contempt flung at tho prctontious
hypoCritc-Haud again u d. hhlo
shedding lUstcr and glory about tho
head Of the saint OF COD VINO mas
imbibed tho spirit of his master.
Christianlty--lf lt is gcnuine--is In
soparable from tho man, 1t dwells
In him and hc dwclls Ia It Since
tho days Of Joaus men have been
reaching after this Eploudid Copccp'
ton. II H condition OF heart 10
De grown into. hU.re tho process iH
necessarily slow slow for tho IN
diyidual. slower for tho race. only
ON rare OtDaHiuns do men ascend
tho mount ~ tr1nHfiguratiOua- for
tho most part thcy are toiling IN the
valley ut lts base where the beast
IS at war with the man. Tho type
Of Christianity that viii be succcss-
fat will Of necessity bo the type
that i4 worthy Of "a mans entire at
tcntion. II his conception OF tho
Christ is Nagl and narrow, then
his Christianity will be drawn from
the same mould. hut " ho ccs
in Jesus the universal savior of men
If ho sees that Chrlst's gospel DO
OF such tremendous Import that u
carries with II the Issues OF tho
souls eternal dcstiny--lf no aces In
% tho great fundamentals OF human
bruthcrhood--thc only wlse and al
together satisfactory solution OF tho
complex social and racial problems
that stare men in the face--thon he
will make Il his business to be "a
'hristian--and conversely his Chris
tlanity will be his business. This
is tho only type OF Christianity
worthy OF "A mans attention---it In
the only kind worthy or divine
mind. Churchmon have bellttled
tho religion OF our Lord by their
apparent contempt OF it--Jesus Ia
too often betrayed In the house OF
his friends.
II is a matter OF qualification 20
know that there N reforming OF
the lines OF Christian activity, and
that those who are taking places
ia that new limo do not qualify on
the strength OF their voice, but
rather on the strength OF their
heart. Tho church is destined TO
slough off that material which only
believes (D" but never works-
the fact In It has never been part
of the church however much II
may have thought Bo--it In simply
mass that has adhered to the
body The business OF being "a
Christian is n mans Job--a job that
offers ample opportunity for tho
development OF every faculty and
the use OF every energy.
Pcssimisn OF Middle Age.
Lot me seek to Impress upon you
the proper relation you should sus-
tain to the past as the apostle hints
at II in that word forgetting" We
commit n grave folly II we live In
the days long gone. ! am inclined
to think that at the age OF 40 "A
man faces "a very serious crisis. lie
Is Tar from the idealism OF youth
and Its roaeate dreams. II is likely
he has not found tho smallest part
OF what seemed to be In pruspect
20 years before. When no recalls
the vision OF two decades back and
compares them with the realities OF
tho present, there may be very
strong tendency towards Hynicism
md detection. Youth ls past and
age Ia not at hand--ho has come
to the crucial moment and hla de-
cision will profoundly affect the re-
malndcr OF his life. lie may choose
tn relax his efforts as many do, and
give up the hard struggle, holding
that lfo In the main is dlsap-
pointment--that II promises what
II cannot fulfill-.-And that what II
does give IN doled out with an ex'
asperating niggardlincss that drive,
the soul TO desperation, Ho may
make himself and his friends miser,
able by his pcssimlsm broodlnt
over the things which might hav