The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-03-28

81 SAAA - ~ Ao
fore He Nent to His death on Calvary. Later they
saw Him finching beneath the weight of the cross
US He went forth from Pilates Judgment hall along
the Way Of Sorrows 10 Golgotha. Still later they
saw Him dying on that cross. And finally they
saw Him risen from the dead on Easter Day.
To Jesus disciples 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
~ the cross, as well as cling TO the cross.
Man instInctively yearns for life beyond the
grave, It'll death do US part" reads the marriage
service. There are some who would have 1t so
that not even death can part them. Wrote Robert
Browning:
o. thou soul of my soul. I shall clasp thee again.
And with God be the rest!
Many feel that If there Is to be no future life
for them then Is this earthly life a hideous i~niquity,
= prodigious failure. Wrote Tennyson:
Thou wilt not leave Us In the dust;
Thou madest man. he knows not why.
He thinks he was not made to die;
And Thou hast made him. Thou art lust.
1t seems lnconceivable that man should toll up
ward with sweat and travail until a Lincoln could
say, with malice toward none, with charity for
ALI and then should come humiliation. Wrote
Darwin;
II is an intolerable thought that man and all other
sentent beings are doomed to complete humiliation
after such a long-continned and slow process.
So the Christian Of today sees In Easter the an
swer to the ages-old question: IF a man die, shall
he 1--we againT'
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
the dead, The Easter that man celebrated before
Christianity came was an instructive expression
of his JOY that winter was over and spring was on
the way. To him the sun, If not God himself, was
light and warmth and s~pringing life. So at or
near the yernal equinox early man celebrated the
change II 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
IN light and darkness heard god in the thunder
and the wind; felt him in the manifold manifesto
tons Of nature. Perhaps most Of all early man
saw god n the sun thar drew nearer In the spring
and gave light and heat and food. So It Is no
wonder that modern man rejoices as Of old at the
coming Of spring He would sing, If he could, with
Bliss Carman:
The sun viii shine again and spring come back
Her ancient glorious, golden-howered way.
And slad1ess visit the green earth once more.
For many a city man does Berton Braley speak
When ne sings Of the tunes Of the first street
piano Of the spring:
They build ne a vision Of meadows Elysian,
OF brookiets that habb1e and breezes that Groom.
And wistful and tender young spring In her splendor
Comes dancing to me on the wings Of a tune.
Russell Mott, a poet Of long ago, spoke for all
nature lovers when he wrote:
Godde helpe ale good adventures
Who love strange roads sac welle,
Whose prysonne IS a city street,
Whose countng-house a celle;
Send them a safe deiyeraunee,
That each may lyte his tyre.
With only the starres for gaolers
lime the lande Of hys desyre.
So it Is that out-of-doors on Easter morn offers
a lure for many that no church can equal.
Easter morn at sunrise, should you be in Los
Angeles and one of those lured by the out-of-doors.
hasten to Eagle Rock park. You Will hnd many
others going your way and you viii come to a vast
crowd on Eagle Rock, surnounted by a cross and
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