New Britain herald., 1925-11-27

ing world before a single year was out. AS matter of fact. that is exactly what has happened-since the last great war--in certain parts of Europe and the Near East. Thou sands Of people were so desparate- 1 ly reduced in circumstances that they were actually compelled to eat up their seen even, And then, what happened? Tho very next year they died by the hundreds, except in those districts where food or seed was supplied from America and oth- CT nations The simple truth is-- l This whole wide world has 10 com init one act of self-denying faith | every year. in order 10 live al all. l There is no other security known, in such 8 world as thisl Trust is i our only basis of confidence even in this most material matter of daily bread.
 1 And so, you see, old EccleSiastos is right" Casting your bread up- on the waters" is the only way in which we can make sure of being able to eat 1t at all. Yes, Even on the material plane. We all live by faith! By taking the risk of death.
 Except grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abdeth alone"
 That was the way Jesus put this same truth hundreds of years later 10 the Greeks Or again
 He that loseth his life for my sake and the Gospels, the same shalt find It."
 However it comes, there is always this same tndeputable principle of
 50 much, then. for the venture. But what of the response!
 Most of us are willing 10 SOW seed, at least once! But nearly all of us will ask first of any oppor- unity to invest-and rightly so---- what is there in this business for me?
 The second thing, upon which this wise man of the East takes his stand is a principle, which has never yet been broken in a world scale! And this is the principles: The universe will always respond to an act of faith. True, there have been districts here and there in the world, Where--for one reason or an- other-or for no apparent reason at all-the rains have failed and the crops have come to no fruit worth the gathering. But, thanks be to God, such q disaster has never happened on q world scale. And docs not this very fact seem to sug- gcst that God means and has always has meant us to live together on world scale of mutual interdepend- cnce? If there is | famine in any part, it is not the universe that is at fault IL is we, who have so far refused 10 bear one another's bur dens. Looking at nature In this way we can say that it never fails us. Bring faith and love into play and he universe will respond to it in q harvest by which there will he life for all: Cast thy bread upon the waters'-Why? Tor thou shalt ind 1t after many days"
 Take this as automatic This uni verse will answer any act of faith { in which we seek the good of the | whole, And all for the simple req son that there is behind this uni verse of ours a faithfulnoss a faith fitness for which there is no other better name than God. If we could only get back 10 nature in our thinking We city dwnllers, believe ! there would be much less doubt and ! SN"pticism in OUT modern world | about Gods presence and. Gods goodness Don't you see, that no . man can possibly think long upon this patient faithfuIncss of the | earth. without thinking himself into 1 inc very presence of God, our Father What We call the laws of . nature in seed time and harvest are only anoI her name for the method of God, our Father, in his wise pro vision for us, His children,
 Lack of the loaf is tho snowy
 
 And back of the flour, the mill,
 And back of the mill is the wheat .
 and th" shower
 And th" sun, and the Fathers .
 will.
 "Nhat Is all this business Of SOW ing and rNaping but just the faith and trust by which men yearly fling themselves on God and the yearly f response of the goodness of the Father, answering our trust in the energy Of newly created life And | ne Gospel message-'He that losoth . his life shall find it'-is then. the sur"st thing In all the world.
 Let US think Of the application of this double principle of sowing and r@aping' in one or two perfect 1y obvious directions.
 Think for instance, of the searcher after truth, He too, can only live hy taking the risl, of death, The scientist discovers something which he supposcs is truth. But, remember, ii he settles down and 'n4ulreS, he has found the bottom Of 'ho we'll, the truth that was at first 8 glowing flame will begin to fade and will become a mere dry and tlf"l"ss formula! He has 10 20 on '7nkinF. He has 10 go on learn ing, He must continue keeping his mml or"n, Ycs he must even take the risk Of finding that the truth h' thought so sure is only a half truth after all, as it often proves it. @"lf to h"' There is no getting away from tho fact, that we have 10 go on thinking in every area Of life in "lndine religion, if WI arc not to loSetht truth that We possess,
 He who ceases 10 be better.