The Washington herald., 1922-05-22
BFRATES MERE
LIP LOYALTY TO
I: TENETS OF GOD
Rev. Sperry Says "Foxy"
Persons Seem to Find
sa-a Welcome.
RECALLS HIS REPLY
"Foxes Have Holes, But the
Son of Man Hath Not Where
To Lay His Head"
By REV. PAUL sPERRY.
Church of the New Jerusalem.


Church of the New Jerusalem.
The foxes have holes and the
birds of the air have nests, but the
Son of Man hath not where to lay
His head."-Matt. $50.
Human prudence is likely to be
satisfied with provision for things
OF lesser Importance and temporal
value, even to the exclusion of the
most important and eternal consid-
erations of life. It seems natural
with most of US to lose sight cas-
lily of the most imperative needs
Of our natures as spiritual beings
In our very eagerness to provide for
more apparent but actually less i'm
perative necessities. The one most
important thing in the life of every
human being Is his vital relation
ship with the Lord, his Creator and
Preserver. 1t Is plain to our minds
that the indwelling of the Lord in
the human heart is the most pre-
efous heritage Of which that heart
B capable, the only thing which
can lift IL eternally above the plane
or mere animal life and bless II
with the possibility of resenera-
tton. If we examine the habits of
our everyday life we see that COM
paratively little effort is given to
increasing or even maintaining this
close union with the Lord, which we
know to be essential to our interior
welfare.
When interference comes. as II is
sure to in the life of even the
tnoughtful Christian, between the
caii to protect apparent, material
In 81
mons to preserve the integrity Of
our conjunction with the Lord, il is
usually the former call which seems
to present the more Imperative de-
mand- 1t was to this habit of short
sighted provision our Lord seemed
to refer in noting provision for
foxes and birds and neglecting of
habitation for the Son of Man. "A
certain scribe came and said unto
Him, with all the show of loyalty
and outward assurance that any of
US today could evidence, Master,
will follow Thee whithersoever
Thou goest''
Ii Figurative Language.
1t Is the same sweeping profess
sion which we all make. To carry
out in complete act such devoted
following of the Son of Man is an
achievement for angelic loyalty; to
be led by the Lord in mind and in
action Is a supreme achievement of
religious being. 1t is the secret
of eternal success. Even the very
disciples failed under such a test.
The Lords answer to the ambitious
scribe and to each of us in like
state of mind Is. "the foxes have
holes and the birds of the air have
nests but the Son OF Man hath not
where to lay His head"
-Aanifestly he uses foxes fiKura-
lively to suggest human character
tstics that are foN-like; the clever,
crafty. prudent concern for ones
own personal security and advance
ment. We recognize the trait In
the Scribes and Pharisees whose
craftiness was so frequently pitted
against the Lord; we see II in the
LAWYER who came tempting the
Master. with his insincere question
as to the great comma ndment In the
law: we may discover II in the
spirit OF modern learning which
asserts its cwn self-suficient abil-
ity and insight and disclaims de-
pendence upon any type of re-
vealed wisdom or reliance upon any
criterion OF truth beyond ones own
Judgment and conscience. Our very
street term foxy" has come to
have a little of complimentary sug-
gestion in II as associated with in
dividual cleverness. Men of this
stamp are frequently the ones who
succeed best in the world because
their self-assertive ability has well
come place in the community; soci-
ETY. encourages them and offers
them projections: they have safe
abiding places like the holes Of
foxes. The fact is that those men
tai and moral habits in our lives
today which AFFORD holes for the
foxes are the very ones which
actually exclude the Son Of Man
from an abiding place In our hearts
and minds where He may lay His
head.
"l'he birds of the air have nests"
IL is further declared. There has
sprung up a new enthusiasm in the
very Joy of thinking. In no realm
OF thought has this condition been
more pronounced than in the pres
ent wave of religious interest. New
schools OF religious theory have
hatched out hocks Of new and va
ried Ideas. and their literature has
found ready acceptance. Pseudo
religious journals have increased in
number and circulation. This wide
spread diversity of interest in so
many points OF view and ways of
thinking is not unlike the myriads
OF varied birds Of the air that hover
about or that fly hither and thither
in their generally restless life. And
often do these nominally religious
ideas hnd ready interest in our
minds. The Son of Man hath not
where to lay His head" The prac-
tice of the presence of God" gets
only nominal acceptance as theory
from those very people who are
easily carried away with the fit
! ting conceptions OF modern cult
promoters and foxlike schemers for
influence over the lives Of men.
II the Federal census could show
the spiritual condition of our mil
lions of people as well as their de-
nominational afiliations. OF how
many would II be found that the
Son of Man has actual. cherished
dwelling in their lives? There
would be many millions ready to
declare with the scribe, Master. 1
will follow Thee whithersoever
Thou goest." But we can hear the
Son Of Man saying to them. in ef-
feet, In any crisis, Il never knew
| you; depart from Me. ye that work
iniquity." Is 1t true of your life