Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-23
SARAH y. LOWRE,S
SATURDAY EVENING TALK


STHIS Christmas, high or low, rich or |,
L poor, educated or ignorant men at
he Feast Of the Birth Of Christ are
now presumably decorating the shrine In |
their hearts which Is His, In honor Of |
Him All the giving and the feasting
and singing and greeting mean either
that:
Joy to tho world. the Lord has
come" or they mean nothing that
touches religion.
And IL to some Of us they mean moth
ing that touches religion. then there
Ia for Him no shrine in our hearts. no
set-apart place. and we arc persons
busy with life, occupied with getting
and giving, In demand here and there,
persons with habits instead Of convic-
tions. who, because we were born in
certain environment, have even the
habit of Christmas! But are rather
like the innkeeper and his wife in
Bethlehem on the night Joseph Knocked
for admittance for himself and Mary.
II there had been room no doubt
these late Comers would have had it,
and the Child would have been born
there, making the inn for all time the
most glorious shrine OF the world. But
It so happened that on account Of the
registration for the new tax many per-
sons had knocked that day at the inn
and taken up lodging there. until it
was crowded 70 It's full capacity. If the
innkeeper's wife had known what was
impending within an hour, it was IN
belevablc that she would not have
turned some one out TO make room
There is no reason to think Of her or
her husband as cruel. They had an
opportunity to take Christ in, but they
did not know it was Christ nor in
deed that Child was to be born that
very night of the tired woman whose
husband knocked so late at the gate
Of their crowded courtyard.
TN SHORT, so far as the records go,
L they had no great debate in the
matter that night beyond seeing 70 it,
perhaps, that shelter OF some kind was
given to these strangers. And 1t was
not an inhuman kind Of shelter, either,
even for what was unexpectedly TO oc-
cur within an hour or two. No, the
crucial choice as to what they would
do for Joseph and Mary and the Child
would come next day. and the days
after that. when what had happened
would begin to dawn upon them by the
light of surrounding testimony. First,
the real nature Of the parentage from
an earthly standpoint. Every one in
IDtlUipUtlu WAS DTtSuI1pulN OF IDp tTlnt
of judah, but Joseph and Mary were
of the kingly line. Secondly, the tes.
timony of the shepherds who had seen
a vision, and of the wise men who
brought gifts, and of the ancient man
and woman at the Temple. who had
prophesied as to the heavenly nature
Of the Child. And. lastly. the sharp
fear of Herod, who could brook no
rival heir to the throne, and attempted
to do away with the Child by a whole
sale massacre Of all the children under
one year in the town. All these things
would come early TO the knowledge of
the innkeeper and his wife, and con-
cerning them they did have wide
power of choice as to whethr 'hey
would worship Him with the shep-
herds and the wise men, and regard
Him with Herod as the legitimate
claimant to throne. or continue to
pursue their business and pleasure as
though He had never knocked at their
door.
With us who are born in the Chris
tlan faith or who are born ont of it. at
first We have no individual choice either
the Inn is full and there is no room Cor
stranger, or the shrine is already made
and prepared for the Child Before we
nHlold enough to know, that shrine
has been prepared. or the shrine has
been otherwise engaged. And we can
go on quite while taking the shrine
for granted-paying n sort of homage
OF habit there-or we can go on in
definitely considering It no shrine, but
only n spare room-for guests Of one
sort or another. But in either case It
is an inherited choice OF religion with
US, not n personal choice, or one born
of personal knowledge, and gathered in
from what the sheDhprlS saw and the