Arizona republican., 1922-04-12

4n6 1sOulaH kONSEuOE u
was too unimportant matter even
to bestir himself upon the side OF
obvious justice, and the Roman en-
peror in far-away Rome, If he heard
of the matter at all, probably said
to himself, Another troublenlaker
gone to his just reward" Today the
name of that Roman emperor is
known TO millions only because of
his association with this trouble
maker" and PLATE has come under
the censure of the ages, because he
failed 10 discern what manner of
man was before him.
Then see what happened. See how
the flame leaped the boundaries of
Jewish nationalism; how 1t spread
to Rome itself; how it began to
breathe new life, 5few strength, new
sturdiness, into ..Ae Roman empire,
until $50 years later it was con-
sidered important enough for the
Emperor to take it under his pro-
lection; and 800 years later 1t had
conquered the empire.
Christianity had come too late to
save the empire but it enabled Rome
to endure three centuries of barbar-
ism and to eventually recover a part
of the spiritual heritage which 1t had
seemed for a while she had lost
forever.
Today, in all Of the western ma
tions. there is one symbol that
stands in each country above the
national flag-the Cross OF Christ.
And we have all experienced the
lightness of heart which comes When
we have for a moment imagined
what would happen If the Cross OF
Christ. standing above the flag. were
not merely a symbol BUT AN AC-
TIJAL FACT; If it were indeed a
fact that the nations OF the eartn
Mace above their nationalistic de-
signs the spirit of Christ.
And so today our thoughts so back
70 fhe first Palm Sunday; see Christ
entering the city, try to realize all
that the city meant to Christine
very center Of the hopes OF his peo-
pie, the rallying- point OF their splr-
itual aspirations, the shrine OF tneir
nationalism II he was TO pe the
leader Of his people it must pc at
the center of their life: II be was
to win their loyalty he must first
conquer the great City ITSELF And
one feels perfectly sure that when
he "set his face to go to Jerusalem
he did not simply go there to die:
he did not feel that he was facing
an absolutely hopeless task. One
feels that there mus have burned
in his heart the hope that he might
capture the minds and imaginations
of the people and win them to the
belief in their spiritual destiny.
And as he entered the city great
throngS met him, many eagerly cry
ing out their loyalty. Some scoffed
at the scene--this obscure GaIilean
In the midst of the impetuous and
crowd. And many in the
city did not even know that he was
there.
Many welcomed him. It would be
interesting to know the character of
those who formed the eager throng
on that day. o it must have been
made up in large part of these who
were tired of sham. who had a
passion for reality, who were willing
to cut through the hard crust OF
tradition in order to set the spirit
OF man free, who longed sincerely
and ardently for the coming of the
better day for mankind.
The simplicity and freshness of his
teaching had won their minds. Deep
spake unto deep. The spirit within
them made response to the spirit in
him. Just as today something in us
makes response to Christ. He so
satisfies the desires of our spirits.
Something in us responds to him
when we hear him telling US that
love is the law of life, that service
comes before self, that all men re-
gardless of race or creed or color
or kind are brothers and TO be
treated as such, that we are to try
to put ourselves in the other mans
place and see life through his eyes
and treat him accordingly, that the
one thing we can never get rid of Is
our spiritual heritage: something In
us cries out our loyalty when he
asks us to have the courage to make
him the Master of life. We know he
is right: that the truth is in him:
that the meaning OF life is there:
and so we join the happy crowd this
day.
to whom force was the only argument
and the meaning of life-what SYM
pathy had they with the spiritual
OF the people. The re-
ligious rulers. balancing their future
in the light of the possible success OF
Jesus-what could he expect of them.
Theirs was part of the age-long fight
of special privilege fighting to main
tain itself.
Some did not know that he was in
the city. The shop-keepers were
busy at their counters. It was a
great holiday. The city was thronged
with people. 1t was their chance
to increase their profits. What was
Christ compared to fortune.
There was no unaniInity in the
city when Christ came. Each group
was bhSy with its own interests.
Those who gave their loyalty TO
Christ Nwere unorganized- And so It
was easy for the priests to stampede
the people few days later: and the
cross became inevitable.
MY very dear friends. this Is true Of
every community. The same ele-
ments that made up the city of
Christ's day make up our cities to-
day. Some are earnestly trying 10
bring the spirit of Christ into human
some are not. We who
have established this Cathedral
Cnurch-and when say church do
not mean simply this building OF
bricks and mortar. this cathedral or
roclx-I mean q living cathedral OF
men and women--I mean what Man.
son in the Servant In The House"
meant when he described his church:
'sThe pillars of it are the brawny
trunks of heroes: the sweet human
flesh of men and women are moulded
about it's bulwarks; the faces of lit
tie children laugh out from every
the terrible spans and
arches are the joined hands of COM
rades and up in the heights and
spaces one can hear the tiny ham,
merings of the comrades who have
gone on before" We who have built
this cathedral in this community have
done SO because we are trying to fix
another rallying point for some of
those who are endeavoring to build
in the sririf of Christ into this com.