Evening star., 1925-12-06
MY RELIGION By Henry Arthur Jope

heaven, Thou art there If | make
my bed In hell. behold, Thou art
there. If | take the wings of the
morning and dwell In the uttermost
parts of the sea. even there Thy hand
shall lead me and Thy right hand
shall guide me- How the old words
fit our mouths and lift our hearts to-
day, if we do not basely put them to
literal use, If we do not harden them
into dead, benumbing, incredible
statements of fact.
1t is the fate Of all creeds ulti
mately to petrify religion. The let
ter strangles the spirit. Let US not
submit ourselves to the despotism of
dead forms of words. Equally, hav-
ing thrown off the letters Of dogma,
let us not ignobly seek refuge in
amicable Eeneralities, and Vastly
vaGueness, and that balmy optimism
which Is equally meaningless with
the dogmas that we have rejected.
Thus | am led, in the company of
many OF the deepest and devoutest
minds of all times, to pantheism. to
hat large. simple faith which finds
poetic expression in Pauls words to
the Athenians: "IIe giveth to all
life and breadth and all things, that
they should seek the Lord if haply
they might feel after Him, and find
Him, though He be not far from any
one of us. For in Him we live and
move and have our being" My creed
is not n full. rich. educative creed
like Roman Catholicism, embroidered
with golden legends. and spangled
and painted with gorgeous mageries.
1t is Il narrow plank, but | find it
sure under my feet. | tread onwards
with no mtsgiving.
pray to that living universal
spirit. not expecting 1T TO work mira
cles for me, not to command, scarce
ly to beseech, but that l may be
drawn into aspiring communion with
that power whose abundant life gave
me life and gives me more life. whose
inexhaustible strength gives me new
strength, that | may keep perfect
step and tune with its laws, and that
/ may thereby gain increased faith
courage. patience. hope and self-con
troll. My prayers do not fall into the
void. for I rise refreshed, inrigorated
and assured.
As to Immortality.
7 am not distressed about immor-
tality. | cannot clearly enough pic
ture to myself any future state of be
ing that will be so different from this
present state that ! feel obliged to
ira packing for 1t. My ordinary
every day spiritual luggage will suf-
flee me TO carry me through the jour
ney, however long il may be. ! am
not building upon Immortality. but
will toyfully receive il II 1t Is con-
ferred upon me.
Such is my religion. Is it meaGer?
Is 1t chilly? Is il a religion at all2
II is true for me. 1t is enough for
mo. | can live by 1t. At II | can
face death without q fear. ] do. in
deed. shrink from Il w.arisome dying.
the drawn-out pain, the trouble and
Inconvenience to myself and those
that wait 10 sec me pass. But of
death itself have not the least dread,
Let me say not word in rebuke
of thos. whose habit and nature de
mand Il vast architectural scheme of
dogma and incomprehensibility The
operative part of any mans religion
is that which he weaves for himself
out Of his own spiritual experience.
The Unseen Power
Whose eye for eyer doth accompany
mankind
Hath looked on no religion scorn-
fully
Which man did ever find.
Which hath not taught weak wills
how much they can.
Which hath not falln on the heart
like ram
Thou must be born again"
We cannot rest in a materialistic
Interpretation of the universe The
last creed that ] can accept is that