Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-30

good things because we do not come up
% the standard for membership, by
reason Of something which we have
done or are. We call our natural pride
Or stoicism to our aid to give us the real
Indifference that we wish to feel, but
we do not always succeed In not caring
sutwardly, and we never succeed in not
caring inwnrdly.
And what is true about ourselves is
true also about the way we feel for
those we love. In fact, we may be sorry
for ourselves or hurt, but we are hurt
and even bitter for those whom we love
! think the experience forever kills
in us the possibility of the better than
thou attitude toward any Of our human
fellows, except that possibly we may
cherish an I'm glad I'm not like you"
state of mind toward persons that show
spiritual pride. In short, we do not
always regard with kindness the per-
sons who have "Swishcd aside their
garments" lest they should be contain
mated by touching us or touching some
enc we loved. whom they considered in
error Which state of anger in us
shows us up as not being very differ
ent after all in the matter Of spiritual
pride.
VERY strict orthodox church Chris
tians sometimes feel it their duty
to hurt and even to ALLEVIATE "ChrStians
At large by bearing testimony to their
disapproval of the lives of their neigh
bors In the matter of divorce, "f keep
ing the Sabbath day. in the matter VI
the distribution of wealth. in the mat
ter Of n literal rather than n theological
adherence to tho commands OF our
Lord, IN the matter OF pacitism. social
ism. brotherly love.
II my old friend the good church,
woman shows a coldness to mo because
IN one or another Of these matters do
not conform to what her church teaches
were the commands of rs Founder, and
II she and her fellow church people give
me a feeling that on entering the house
OF God which they support ana to which
they minister come rs an uNwclc"Nl"
guest. they have truly put mo in an
awkward position. For even though Il
may I've as much min" as theirs. am no
longer happy there. because II am too
Indifferent outwardly to their diSap-
proval they may think il Just really 70
protest INV coming. whereas II | aC-
cept their point Of view 7 am acknow.-
edging myself TO have been wrong, and
my attitude Is that of guilty dog that
sinks in where he knows he Is not "N-
pected or even allowed. Ny natural
course i 70 cease going tO that church.
or to any other where n like rpceNtiOn
might be given TO me. Sooner or later
n 80
for II the fellowship Of the art is lost,
II I am not really there to take full part
in the opportunities of the place. why
60?
And vet. knowing that an what
an, or have done what ! have don"
with clear conscience toward God,
why should I allow the spiritual inter-
ference of Others To prevent me from
fulfilling my duties and privileges aS
Christian churchwoman? Why not nr-
cept the dsapproval for what il is worth
"a mistake on the part of persons who
do not undcrstarrl-a not give II more
value than il is worth? II Il was right
to so to Communion and /" keep the
holidays once, and nothing has in'cr-
vened between God and me 70 nlIonate
my spirit from His spirit why allow
any one 70 cold shoulder me out of my
seat in His house fgurnt!vely or liter
ally?
The truth is our shyrpss at not being
wanted by our fellow men makes Us for
9etful that we are desired by Cod Al.
Of which goes to show that though we
call certain building Gods houS" we
actually think Of 1t nS the clergy md
church members house. And this +
% universally 30. especially with mon
and women who have been hurt by rhoir
fellow Christians. that there must be
something in II. We build church
buildings and dedicate them 70 God. bur
though we seldom go 50 far a> 10 put
really evil persons ont of them We often
DO estrange persons from them with
whom we differ on personal matters Of
right and wrong. As though il was our
Fathers house and 40 our house. but
not their Fathers house
We even intimat" that in the matter
OF what Is called the Lords Supper. the
Sacrament of the Holy Communion. we
have right TO judge who shall b" do
barred from that service. at least to the
extent Of saying thar they ought NOT 70
come. Quite forgetting that tho origtnI'
Feast of Fellowship was DnrtAken Of by
one man. at least, who had BETRAYED the
Giver OF the Feast, and hy another
man who within an hour was 10 deny
that he knew Him. and by some seven
or eight men who deserted Him In the
face of danger. All Of which facts of
sins committed or potential We're known
to the Host of that Supper Of Fellow
ship when He handed to each guest
there the symbol of His broken body and
spent blood. Yet He did not intimate
even to Peter that he had no right 70
bs there.
DOSSlBLI the many times He had
been frownod upon and the f"w times
that He had been Threatened with OK
pulsion from the synNgOgups whore III"
men of His race were wont to meet to
hear the Word Of God would have
made Him sensitive and shy about plac.
ing Himself in the way If unkindness
II lie had been like the most of Va,
more intent on His fellow worShipcrS
than He was on the God whom they
worshiped in common. OR perhaps
II He had been like the generality Of
worshipers In the Temple the double
dealing of the priests of that day, the
merccnary profit sharing with the
money changers, and the hypcritical
observances Of the PhariseeS would have
alienated Him from the Temple. But
from His earliest years lie thought Of
II as His Fathers House, and the last
days of His life wer" spent there. though
going there meant death for Him.
No, | think there is no building that
has been dedicated to the glory of God
and for the worship of God that you and
! have not a right to enter, II In QUE
hParts we know that wa huva n ripht