Evening star., 1921-12-25
BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL,

s'&ah' siaS hiG5AS va HAo
Rome sat by the yellow
Tiber, mysterious as destiny,
implacable as fate, mistress of
the habitable globe, and seeming
mistress of the centuries yet to be.
There was peace. such as it was,
the world around-peace such as
authority always. gives; peace
which authority must give to JUS
tify itself. 1t matters not whether
the rule be wise or foolish. Whether
it reflects justice or force, author
ity 10 not authority which does not
insure peace. The cohorts of the
Roman empire, having brought the
world under subsection. had been
broken up into police squads. All
that authority had to do was to
maintain quietude-by justice if
authority were wise, by terror if
necessary.
There had been Lucullan feasts
and pariah famine at eventide. Men
had sunk to their rest with the
sullen silence Of despair. Perhaps
they tossed on sleepless beds. re-
solved to change it all some way.
some time. Yes. there was peace,
but 1t was the peace which comes
from Consciousness that the strong
arm of authority compelled it. 1t
was not the peace that comes from
service. sacrifice and sense Of broth
erhood.
X X x
In old Judea there was peace
swordpoint at the end of shining
centuries. But it was the peace Of
repression, not that of concord.
There never was, there never will
be, real peace until the souls of
men have eaten to safety at the
table Of a common brotherhood and
drunken to the dregs the cup Of
common service
The emperor at Rome laughed in
his pride and vain glory at IsraeTs
God. The slave sunk to his weary
rest with inexplicable thankful
ness that no guest had asked that
he be tossed to the lions. The
Pharisee made broader his phylac-
teries. The sadducee grew surer
that death ended all The smoke
of the evening sacrifice had long
lost itself in the cloudless sky. SO
far as human vision saw, the night
was but repetition of many
nights long gone before. The NOR
row sun would rise upon the same
old world. and all its. men and all
its women would be as they were.
The innkeeper at Bethlehem was
we'll content. He was typical of
his calling. His place was full.
His guests had paid. There was no
room for her. A manger was all
mankind had left for mankinds
mother.
The world knew not it was the
night of nights. The drowsy shep-
herds. as always. watcher their
fiocks. The night Wore on-and
suddenly they were aroused by an
angelic chorus in the skies. All
heard them sing GLORY to God in
the Highest" Some thought they
heard them sing "On Earth Peace
and Good Will to Man" But these
were only the drowsy souls who
through all the centuries have
failed to hear Alright. Those who
were wide awake knew that they
VII AAot I'll cdce 10 Men Oh
Good Will" They knew, as all
men since then have known. that
heavens hope for man was in men
of good will. They knew it even
as the babe that night born in a
manger knew it-as He in Gethse-
names garden, in Pilots Judgment
hall and on that GoIgotha which
was His gateway into glory knew it.
How strange it is that, with this
certain knowledge. all down the
ages men hating each other. seek
ing their own and not another's
good. striving for place. prefer
n.ent and power, riding roughshod
over the rights. feelings and sensi-
bilities Of their fellowmen. have
celebrated that night on every an
niversary of it by chanting in
cathedrals. Peace on earth, good
will to man." This. although they
knew the only hope of peace was
in the good will of man to man.
And this. although they knew that
men of good will could not live in
peace with selfish. self-centered
and self-seeking souls.
The world has had many men Of
influence. many of ambition. many
of Great learning, but it has not
been surfeited with wise men. The
man of influence coming from afar
would not have stopped at Rethle-
lehem. His mission would have
found its end at Rome. The man
of ambition would have passed by
the manger and would have sought
the counsels of the Roman senate
The man of great learning would
have journeyed on to read and
ponder Ger sacred writings with
the high priest at Jerusalem. But
when the wise men came they
sought not Rome, the senate. nor
the temple-they came unto the
manger.
And SO along the ages the star
has led the wise men of the world
ever to Bethlehem. But always
they have paused at the manger-