Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-03-29


fo1e He went to His death on Calvary. Later they
saw Him dinching beneath the weight of the cross
as He went forth from Pilates judgment hall along
the Way of Sorrows to Golgotha. Still later they
Him dying that cross. And finally they
saw Him risen from the dead on Easter Day.
10 Jesus discipIeG the cross symbolized the
power Of imperial Rome over those who offended
against her. Rome stood for material achievement,
for oppression. Jesus stood for spiritual things,
for love, for human freedom and brotherhood.
To the Christian of today Easter is a celebra-
ton of the belief that Rome was wrong and that
Jesus was right And he knows that he must car
ny. thu cross, as well as cling to the cross.
Man instnctiyely yearns for life beyond the
grave. "Til death do part reads the marriage
service. There are some who would have it SC
that not even death can part them. Wrote Robert
Browning:
Q, thou soul Of my soul I shan clasp thee again,
Many feel that if there is to be no future life
for them then is this earthly life hideous niquity
8 prodigious failure. Wrote Tennyson:
Thou wilt not leave US in the dust;
Thou madest man, he knows not why,
He thinks he not made to die;
And Thou hast made him. Thou art just
It seems. fnconceivable that man should toll up
ward with sweat and travail until Lincoln could
say, with malice toward none with charity for
ell" and then should humiliation Wrote
Darwin:
It is intolerabe thought that and all other
sentient beings doomed to complete humiliation
after such Iong-continued and slow process.
So the Christian of today sees in Easter the an
swer to the ages-old question: IF die, shall
he live again?"
This is an old, old earth and man has lived long
upon it-so long that he celebrated Easter ages
before Jesus died upon the cross and rose from
Che dead. The Easter that man celebrated before
Christianity came an instructive expression
of his Joy that winter was over and spring
the way. To him the sun, if not God himself. was
light and warmth and springing life. So at
hear the vernal equinox early man celebrated the
change in the seasons that renewed his slender
lease on life and comfort.
Man instinctively turns to a god, If not to the
God. In the beginnings of the race man saw god
2n light and darkness; heard god in the thunder
and the wind felt him in the manifold manifesto
lions of nature Perhaps most of all early man
saw god in the that drew nearer in the spring
and gave light and heat and food. SO it Is no
wonder that modern man rejoces as of old at the
coming Of spring. He would sing, if he could with
Bliss Carman:
Well I know
The sun win shine again and.sprng come back
Her ancient glorious, golden-howered way
And gladness visit the green earth once more.
For many city man does Berton Braley speak
when he sings Of the tunes Of the first street
piano of the spring:
They build me a vision of meadows Flysian
or brooklets that babbe and breezes that Groom
And wistfu and tender young spring In her splendor
Comes dancing to me on the wings of tune.
Russell Mott, a poet Of long ago, spoke for all
aature lovers when he wrote:
Godde helpe ale good Adventures
Who love strange roads welle
Whose prysonne Us city street
Whose counting house celle;
Send them a safe deliveraunce,
That each may lyte his tyre,
With only the starres for gaolers
lime the 1ande of hys desyre.
So 1t is that out-of-doors on Easter morn offers
lure for many that no church can equal
Easter morn at sunrise, should you be in Los
Angeles and one Of those Iured by the out-ofdoors
hasten to Eagle Rock park. You will find many
others going your way and you will come to vast
crowd on Eagle Rock surmounted by a cross and