Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-17
URGES BELIEF I'M
MIRACLE OF EASTER
Many Buried in Death Which
Needs Resurrection,
Says Bowie.
SEES NEW POWER In LIFE
LHorts Often Trivial Because
of Loss of Pcrspeclives,
Declares Rector.

ON the day OF the Easter miracle
let us believe as Christ would havs
us do, In the spiritual miracle OF the
Easter in our own souls From tombs0
OF sin. from dark. deep graves OIL
possibilities ignored and long for
gotten. God still can bring our
destined selves to resurrectIon.u
urged Rev. W Russell Bowie. d. d.
rector Of st. Paul's Episcopal Church.
yesterday.
Are there not moments" said he,
when tn" soul cries out in an agonyI
OF GENERALIZATION? Let us rememberE
today that We. members OF tho churchb
OF God. may. nevertheless. be burieds
IN death which needs a resurrec-e
ton. Can We not look back aIoncE
the years and sec those fgures oh
ourselves. so hauntingly familiar,t
ana. yet, ut the same time. SO un-H
bcIievahiy stranger
continuing. he said. Here Is n man
perhaps. who more and more has bee MI
enSrossed in the hard entanrlcment}
or material selnshncss. lie tx work. u
ing for himself. or for those so closed
To him that they are part OF hisS
seIhsh Identity. and he is not ashamed
that this Is true. He has accented
mo as he thought ne found It-aI
hard thing. cruel In Its laws oil
struggle and reward, In which a mani
must forget the ideals which might
"iNert him. and press ruthlcsslyh
along the road Of his main chance i'll
ne would succeed. Here. again. isl
N -I.,S 1, t. 20
tul with the lcprosy OF some PHYSICAL
SIN and az he turns back. therc1
passes before him. In what seem in-(
mite distances. the face OF the formerT
innocence which he drcadfully has
brought down to death.
Luxurious Scif-PIcnsinC.
mere is the woman. padded about
WIN luxurious self-pleaslng, so, subj
Jected to the luxuries upon which,
she has allowed herself to grow del
pendant that any sustained and COSTLY
eHort FOR others is no longer withinl
IN" scope of her real thinking. She
100 looks back and sees tho womanI
she once was when the beginninrsl
OF human. sympathy had not been
dniled by the isolation of wealth. nor
the nigh. sweet sense of rcsponeIbiIity
Tor service corrupted in the atfnos-
phere OF an existence absorbed I'm II.
self.
do they not confront us thus-theI
races OF our slain possibilities. the
ue"u selves that lie in the burial!
vaults or the vanished years?
surely life here has new powerI
"heh II has new perspectives OIL
confidence and faith AMI when wei
'know that we are to build no; onlv!
Tor today. but for the limitlcss toll
morrow. The reason why so much OIL
our IRE and work Is trivial. even sor-I
"id. Is because we lose that perspec-l
tive OF the eternal life. Spirituhlly.I
so many OF us arc like children. see-l
ing nothing. imagining nothing be-
Hohd the tcmpestuous occupations ofI
the hour. II man should turn aside
from the toys OF the day to play With
group or little children at their TOYS.
II would be beautiful to see him en-
mo their pleasures. to be part5
OF their game and share for the mol
"e"t all that interested them.
Retain LnrEcr Wisdom.
But we would not expect that heI
should So lose hold of IL larger wis.,
doin ard self-controi than they pos-
scss that he should become absorbed
III their excitement, caught up inI
their Gusty Anglers. and so fascinated
hy Il particular toy that he would
night for its possession. We would
expect. rather, that into all his play-
iuIneSs he should carry the sense of
."'Ser values. remembering. after all /
'n"' toys are but toys. and with
whole-hcarted sympathy In childisb
J"Ehehts. yet maintaining certain
detachment. too. as one who knows
mat past the playing with toys, glifel
moves on To larger things
SO. should the fuil-erow anut
witch understands the pcrspectiyes OF
.he immortal life move through this
ne OF ours. sharing in its occupa-
lions. yet rising above them, TOO.
m"iuinE the things of earth. yet NOT
nodded or mustered by them. other
wise the things of this world claim
US ana chain us. until the glory OIL
'hr spirit droops and dies, and the
paflShaoIe splendor out OF which wdH
'ooiishiy thought we could build
abiding palaces, become the tomb oil
the best in as
Challenge OF Eternal Values,
ITO live life greatly now Is TO
live II in the challenge Of It's eternal
values. and 10 live with eternal mean.
lhss now is TO give glory to- all the
conception OF the life that lies ahead
mere continuance OF existence might,
OF itself. mean nothing. There are
many who frankly do no, want to live
AFTER death. because life has grown
state ana Improbable here no them
IN" days bring nothing but ashes,
ana mere is no value in an immor-
'"J'' OF days. But those who. here
'Tn now are learning 10 live In, the
, lIe, sweet ways Of Jesus those who.
from the rombs OF self and sin are
being born again through Him into
q life OF widening service, find in +
the thought OF the life that lies ahead.
SIMPLY the blessed opportunity. Ia l.
carry forward those efforts through
winch tho glory OF life has been be- l.
ginning here. The lie that Is TO be
IS FOR them no vague unknown II is
me opening OF infinite ways for tha
spirit which is already understand. &
ins the marvel OF It's resurrection
here and now" b