The Washington herald., 1922-07-10
DIVINE PRESENCE
Is ALWAYS NEAR
Us, SAYS PASTOR
Rev. Edward E. Richard
son Takes Text From
Ezekiel.
LONGING ETERNAL
Human Beings Yearn for
Experiences Above
Ordinary.
By REV. EDw. e. RICHARDSON,
Pastor Congress. lights. Bap. Church.

By REV. EDw. e. RICHARDSON,
Pastor Congress. lights. Bap. Church.
Text: "As was among the captives
by the river of Chebar, that the
heavens were opened. and / saw
visions of God. d."-Ezek. III.
There is a longing by the re-
ligionist for that which is raised
above the ordinary experience Of
life. Our thoughts turn readily to
great events of the past and linger
upon the historic. Places thus come
to be invested with peculiar interest
and sanctity IL associated with re-
ligious happenings. The Moham-
medan has his Mecca, and devotees
of many religions their sacred
shrines. Palestine is filed with
places of religious significance. The
environment Of Galilee 10 hallowed
by the footprints of Jesus. To the
devout Jew especially his ancestral
land was replete with extraordinary
associations.
At the time of the text many OF
the Jews were in captivity and re-
moved from the scene OF FORMER
years. The Jordan, whose waters
were thrice miraculously DIVIDED
that the nations and prophets
might pass over, was no longer pc
fore their vision. Mountain-girt
Jerusalem, with it's temple, where
the glory of the Lord had been seen,
no longer rose before their eyes.
Historic and venerated hill, valley.
and river had given place to the
strange and monotonous plains OF
Mesopotamia by the rivers OF
Babylon-we wept when we remem-
bered Zion"
How could they sing the praise OF
Jehovah in a strange land, even
though their captors so desired. 1t
seemed II God was afar off, and the
uplift of His spiritual presence gone
from them. This Is the background
of the text and makes clear its mes
sage for all times. In the beginning
heaven and earth came into being
at Gods will. and life is likewise
His gift. So we can understand that
in His manifestation to US, He is
not limited by place or kind OF life
activity. Jacob need not have been
surprised that the land was in this
place and '1 knew it not. God
spake to Adam in the garden, to
Elijah in the cage, to Gideon by the
threshing place. The thronged
streets of the city, the din of the
shop, the distraction of many duties
may not prevent US from pervasive
consciousness of the divine pres
ence-
To the soul there may be an open
heaven even as the daily routine
of life comes and goes Why should
IL not be so? We must spend the
larger part of our time doing COM
monpIace things To deny US the
deeper significance of the religious
life while so engaged would seem
unlikely. New experiences are
sought to remove the depression of
the routine. Is there no better
way? Chemically the diamond is
like charcoal. but its minute par
ticles have been arranged in such a
way that its scintillating life is in
sharp contrast to the dull black car
bon of charcoal. The presence of
the divine in life transforms it un-
iii il too glows with heavenly light
This may be by the Chebar as well
as the Jordan Into the tale of ev-
ery-day life We may take the con-
sciousness Of Christs presence and
the commonplace is no longer such,
but has taken on an eternal mean
ing