The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-12-22
CHRISTMAS TIDE, 1921!

We are in it. The most significant
in the history of man, since the very
first. There never has been a time so
full of promise for "Peace on earth,
good will to man" as on this day!
Never have so many people Of all
faiths, and many Of no expressed faith
been praying for the ending Of all
wars Of every description among men,
as now. Let us thus pray more and
more for this great and surprising
good for our torn and bleeding world.
What is the Christmas-tide? It is
the record Of historical utterances Of
the Divinist Gift. "For God so loved
the World that He gave"
What has Christmas-tide meant to
most Of US humans now living? A
time, among other things for love gifts
to each other and largely to our 'kith
and kin" only.
None but the miser and the crouch
have forgotten or refused to give. And
they do not count. They are not really
living. They only exist, only vege-
tate. What is it to live? To really
live is surely not merely to eat, to
drink, to breathe, to sleep and, per-
chance, to dream. Breath and physi-
cal motion are the action of that ma
chinery which he have in common with
the. beasts. To live is to think, to
serve, to love, to give; and to give
not only to ourselves or our kith and
kin, but to those less favored humans
in their lonliness and need, wherever
found
About three hundred years ago there
lived in Portland a monk called Fra
Bernardo. He was supposed to be
holy and happy, but he was neither.
For in his heart was neither faith nor
love, nor any vision of God.
Now, it came to pass that plague
visited the city in which this monk
lived, and many people fled the place.
but not so with Fra Bernardo. He
went in and out among the stricken
people He fed them, he comforted
them, he nursed them with his own
hands, and little by little, as he shar-
ed the sorrows Of the others, his cold,
empty heart was filled with great
pity. But still he had no vision of
God.
One day he visited the home Of a
poor woman who was dying of the pes
thence. She was in great distress
and she said "Dear Father, I am not
afraid to die, but who is to look after
my boy and girl?"
And then and there Fra Bernardo
promised to care for the children and
bring them up.
So he took the boy and the girl
home with him. He cared for them
and amused them. He fed and cloth
ed them. He was the father, mother
and big brother all rooled in one. He
loved them and gave himself to them.
And then, one day, the great thought
came to him: eff these children mean
SO much to me, perhaps I mean some
thing to God"
The vision of God had come, and
his heart was filled with love, JOY and
peace. For the great secret of low
ing is serving, giving yourself to and
for others.
The First Congregational church
school has decided this Christmas-tide
shall be one of SERVICE and wishes
to extend to all who wish to do so,
an invitation to join with US in this
service, and assist in making happy
those who are less fortunate, and
while our program is one of service,
rather than entertainment, it will also
entertain, as there will be a Christ
mas Pageant, songs, recitations and
a short Christmas sermon by the pas