Putnam patriot., 1924-09-12
THE CHURCH CORNER
Service


 The beauty or potency of service to our fellow beings lies not in the action, or amount of objective force which we expend upon them, but in the thoughts and intentions which should rule and direct our human re- lations.
 When Christ advised those of his disciples who would rule, first to serve, as the lowliest. he illustrated his words by washing the feet of his followers. Now We cannot think that'this advice was to be carried out literally, although many of the most austere among the saintly men and women of the world have chosen to live lives of physical. as well as spiri- tual service to humanity.
 But l think Christ meant to teach us the real relationship of human being, the true humility, which equ- ally should portray the multi million aire. the brilliant lecturer, the great scientist, the lowly mother, all child ren of one family. all and each hold ing within themselves the one, three or five talents with which they have been equipped. Equipped for what?
 
 es or gifts unused and unexpanding? think not, but to bring out into the light of day. to share with every brother and sister less endowed, to prove over and over the miracle of the loaves and fishes. that the more one uses the hidden talents or pow CTS in the service of mankind, the more those talents or powers null tiply. Service consists not in the mere giving of sums of money to phil anthropieal purposes. or in writing wonderful book, composing sym phony, or painting a magnificent pic ture. or even bringing human be- ings into the world. unless underlv- ing these actions, is the desire, the will to serve, to give mankind the best within us.
 And another very subtle meaning may be gathered from Christ's words if We note how many of us are will. ing enough to serve our fellow men with all we have of material posses sions, but when it comes to serving with, and through ourselves, then many. almost all of us draw back into our quiet and comfortable ma terialism and like the young man who came to Jesus by night. we return sadly, for we also have many pos sessions hard to renounce. IL Is al- ways ourselves we must serve with if we would really follow the Master.
 So serve ysur fellow men with money if you have 1t to give, but send with your material gift the service of your love, your desire, your will. Then and only then will your service promote growth within yourself. Send out your creative gifts of books and art and music. but only when those gifts are one with your wish and will to carry joy and beauty to your bro- thers, will your output be true ser vice.
 And then again. serve. serve with perhaps the greatest of all talents the power of thought. Remember the spoken word of sympathy and kindness is powerful, but thought is many, many times more so. "As a man think. SO is he" To all of us has been given in more or less de- grees this talent, this tremendous force with which we may, in every walk of life serve our fellow-men. Realizing this let us take care how VIC use this force. Let US determin- edly put away the unkind, petty seandalous. mean thoughts, so swift 70 find iodgement in our minds and let us serve our brothers and sisters mentally, with honesty, purity, jus tiee, mercy, sympathy and love.