Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-03

true. spirit of the day if our thinking
ends there. II
'.One day recently ] found myself
standing in Independence hall, within
the very room where the declaration
signed. / saw the chairs which
those noble forefathers occupied, and
the table upon which the document
Law when it was signed. My whole be-
ing was filled with awe for it seemed
that surely | was standing on holy
ground, Long shall we remember what
they did there. Soon l passed out of
that historic building and found myself
elbowing my way through the large
crowds of Arch street. Chestnut street
and Market street. in that great city of
Philadelphia. The problems Of our
country are the problems of its peo-
pie. its individuals. and when we see
crowds Of people they ought TO be re-
r1inders Of tie nations problems. A
band Of suffragettes some time back
once brought to our college campus a
a bell married by a huge crack. 1t was
An imitation of the Liberty bell which
greets the eye of the visitor as he en-
tiers Independence hall.
These good ladies laid a great deal
of stress on the flaw in that bell-they
implied that the bell cracked because
q larger freedom for women was not III
cluded in the Declaration of indie
pendence. I have since seen the origi-
nal Liberty bell and it still retains
that ugly crack. even despite the fact
that our women now have equal fran
chise with our men. 7 had that crack
wildly in mind rs I walked among
those masses of people. and ] asked
myself how far does this freedom
of ours go?" A nation may be free
even while n great part of its citizens
are enslaved.
We would do well to pause on this
Independence day to catch the spirit
of the early explorers and founders of
our nation. What was thu impelling
force that kept the equInamitv of those
sterling fathers who came to these vir-
gin shores and worked their way west
ward? | believe that you will agree
with me that il was the dynamic pow
er Of Jesus Christ in their bosoms.
To tell the story of the Hebrews and
leave out religion is impossible: equal
~ impossible is such omission in tell
ing the story of our WI country. Co.
lumbus in his journal speaks of the
means taken for the conversion of the
natives TO Christianity.
When we rehearsed the history of
our nation we meet Gevout and worship
full spirits at every point in the foun-
dation period and in all subsequent pc
RODS. Every president of our land
with the exception of two were mem
bers of churches and these two were
among the most devout. From Patrick
Henry. vowing that there was a God
who rules over the destinies of na-
tIopc md u.hn unr1d roicn ~, f,,naIe
to fight our battles for us. and George
Washington. kneeling there in the snow
at Valley Forge during that terrible
winter of 177S. bringing before God in
prayer the cause Of the colonists. down
through all the subsequent periods of
our history, the leaders of our land
have been of a deyout Christian spirit.
We need TO catch their spirit Of devo-
ton to Jesus Christ and His teachings.
In the days Of the war many de
structive critics jumped up and pro-
claimed Christianity a failure. No. my
good friend. Christianity did not fail.
but a great horde of its so-called fol
lowers did fail miserablv. We had
tried everything else. but we never
gave Christianity a fighting chance.
Have you given il free course in your |
life, Christian? And you who take pride
III StdIuiBR WltHOUt tip uOnf OF the /
church-have you given Christ a chance
in your life? Whatever you may think |
of the church in general or church
members in particular. does not tarnish
the gospel. 1t stands. and TO it you are
responsible.
Christ said that love is the fulfill !
ing of the law. and John reminds us
that God himself is love. There is no
genuine love apart from God. Put
the love of Christ in the heart of man
and You will have few trampled laws.
If a man loves. will be kill his neigh |
Dor? Will he rob the poor? Will he
reduce w~omanhood? Will he have his
glass Of whisky even to the detriment |
of his weaker brother and all depend- |
ent upon him? No We need this love
of Christ which takes into account the
other fellow. Then shall we consider
personality before property. brother |
hood before strife. service in advance
Of profit. liberty in place Of repression,
Justice IN place of injustice. account
ability IN place of irresponsibility, the
Golden Rule in the place of the rule !
OF gold.
Il beg Of you 70 review the nagcs of
YOUR history. +" get u glimpse Of the
Christian spirit If our God fearing
torcfa'hers. and then | besaech you
open the pages of your Bible and go
10 the %origina, sources rs they did to
find the truth.
And ye shah know the truth and the
truth shall make You free indeed"