Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-04
In the Religious World

| ltS. tnen the momentouS decision that
the Gospel was for the Gentle well
| as for the Jew; and now proof that it
belonged to Europe as we'll as to Asia
| We may easily imagine the enthusiasm
of Pauls party, as they gathered about
their leader in conference at the Close
| of the day. in the home of that success
4 ful business woman, Lydia of Thy
tira,-Chrstianitys first convert in
Europe. Their vision and faith were
being Nindicated. The first fruits of
| victory in Philippi were the same
| the Gospel had borne in the cities OF
Syria and Cilicia and Asia Minor.
This is the time to forge a link be-
| tween the region of Thrace and the
Apostle Paul. We are reading occasion
ally in the cablegrams and reviews Of
| the Thracian question and OF the
! rival claims of Greeks, Bulgarians
I Macedonians and Turks to Thrace. As
I experts sclighten us on this question
/ they write learnedly of Alexander the
! Great. and of his father Philip of
| Macedon.-after whom the city
! Philippi was named-but it is to be re-
membered that the most important fact
about this territory is that it was here
| that Christia nifty made its advent into
Europe. The people of Philippi to whom
the Epistles to the Philippins were
later writtcn-werc the first to give
Europe's welcome to the Good News o.
the worlds Savior. We should read
of Paul's joy and pride in this first
Church of Europe. as ardently written
IN his letters. in the light OF the
strategic character of the city's place
IN Christian chronology.
The Church and Crookedneas
That there is nothing new under
the sun is well illustrated by this Les
| son. The devious ways OF business in
dealing with the law are no modern
| eVil. The third incident of Paurs ex-
perience in Philippi strikingly shows
| this. First. he had met, on the Sab
bath, at the Jewish praying place by
the riverside, Jewish proselyte
named Lydia, who became converted.
! and with her family, was baptized
opening her home to the missionary
party. Second in order was the en-
counter with the soothsaying damseI.
who recognized Pauls mission-for
the devils also believe and tremble"
Paul. indignant at the plaguinE OF the
sorceress. exercised the ,evil spirit
from the damsel
Thereby he ran afoui of vested
interests. For he wrecked the busi-
ness of the girls masters Just as
the casting out of the money!
changers from the temple was a de-
cisiNe factor in arousing the rabble
against Jesus. SO this reform in a poor
young woman's character brought
the mob baying at Paul's heels
Touch the pocket nerve and you get
a quick reaction. It is liquor husi-
ness and not the thirsty public, that is
agitating against prohibition Motion
picture money is in the field against
censorship. The real force behind
the campaign for a wide-open Sunday
profit thereby. The lobbies that in
fest the outer courts of legislative
halls. and the hidden influences that
divert the stream of common welfare
are usually .sordid and mercenary
Money is more sensitive than con-
science.
Inevitably and universally. a clear
presentation of truth cuts athwart the
interests of bad business BE il care
fully noted. however. that Christianity
has no quarrel with business as such
or because it is big: Christ's teach
ings condemn only bad business. and
condemn 1t whether conducted by a
deacon running crooked corner
grocery store or by corporation on
Grating on worldwide scale. BY its
very nature. the Gospel is a declara-
fion of war against unrighteousncss
Wherever 1t ceases SO to be militant
1t loses Its true character Thus the
church in Russia that supported and
served the corrupt autocracy had in
Itself become corrupt. Any congre-
CATION that complacently regards in
iauity in its membership or in it's COM
1t is not apostate to Christ
Why The Flag Was Hung
Paul's courageous word wrecked
the business of the fakirs who were
using poor demen,cd young woman
for money-makinG purposes. So they
SGT out hot foot to get" him. or
course. they could not address tho
magistrates with the blunt statement
This preacher is bad for business:
they dissembled and cnmouflaged
their real reason under cloak of
civic virtue and conservation and pa
triotic zeal. Their solicitudc for
Romo's honor recalls the story of the
speaker before n public school, who
pointing to a national flag on sthe
wall. asked. Children. can you tell
mo why that flag hangs on tho wall?"-
euiicless boy. "it Us TO cover a dirty
spot" That use of patriotism neither
began nor ended at Philippi.
With fair words and n fine simu-
lation of public zeal. these grafters
stirred up the mob against the
Christian missionaries. so that in
frenzy of popular tumult. which
swept the politicians on the bench
away from all judicial caution. giving
the defendants no fair chance to cx-
plain themselves. Paul and Isl tns
were beaten with the lictors rods put
In stocks and thrust into an inner
dungeon. Two years ago I was the
happy instrument of rescuing from n
foul Salonica prison an American
missionary who had been quite as un-
warrantably incarceratrd as his IA Inn