Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-06-10
RELIGION AND LIFE
(By REV. A. H. RAPKINGl


in the lobby Of the Gore Hotel. was
impressed by the constant stream of
automobiles that kept going by. Then
there were the folks running to and
fro. There was a continuous demand
on my attention as l sat in the com
Portable chair musing about the sig
+ nifcance and meaning of life.
Today, or rather this forenoon, L
find myself in Mr.. c. CT Wade's home
in the Pleasant Valley Community in
Monongalia County. The contrast Is
SO striking. A while ago l heard w
patter OF the rain on the roof. Now
the birds are singing in the trees
nearby l can hear the rustic of the
leaves in the majestic poplars in the
front yard. A chicken seems to be
cackling for JOY because she has given
to mankind another egg. | can hear
the mother hen clucking as she tucks
her brood under her fluffy feathers
TO protect them from the cool breeze.
At the foot of the hill crabapple
tree is in full bloom. On the bank
across the ravine wild flowers are
sending forth their fragrance In the
timber on the hill above, the dogwood
is blooming at its best. A small stream1-
winding its way back and forth as IL
flows down the valley murmars its
song as it journeys to the ocean.
In the kitchen the faithful hon19-
maker is preparing the MONDAY meal,
and baking the pie and cake to be
taken to the community dinner to-
morrow.
ings and muse concerning the signi-
ficance and meaning Of life and COM
pare this experience with my expert
ence yesterday in the lobby of the
Gore Hotel, the difference seems to
be this: Yesterday man and the
i things man made were clamoring for
my thought and attention, while to-
day God and the things God created
find their way into my musing.
| think | can understand better why
a large percentage of Americas
leadership comes from the country.
The atmosphere out in the country
is conducive to concentrated thougb{
and meditation, while that of the city,
distracts and disturbs. In the city
things have got into the saddle. while
in the country, Gods voice is heard
more distinctly in the murmuring
brook and the song Of the birds.
The film Of the great moving pic
ture of nature is constantly changing
as the flowers come and go, and the
delicious fruit appears This morn
ing it rained as though it might rain
all day, and now the sun is peeping
through the gray heecy clouds. To-
night, no doubt, the stars will spar
kle in the heavens, while the silver
light of the moon will remind the
pure in heart of courtship, home, and
Cod
| sometimes wonder what the flu
ture has in store for America when I
think Of how our population has shift
ed from the country to the city. 4
When | think of the tense, nervous!
more or less superficial lives that too
many of the folks in the cities are
living, | wonder whether or not his
tory will repeat itself and our civil
lization go the way of the magnificent
civilization of the past.
One thing I am confident Of and
that is that imam does not live by
bread alone" The material things a.
lone cannot satisfy the Utmost long
lngs of mans soul. Man cannot
really live on the material plane; if
lie does try to live on this planes he
merely exists. He finds himself soon
er or later cut of the harmony with
the laws by which men created in
Gods image are supposed to live He
may live in a mansion, have the best
of servants ministering to his physi-
cal needs, ride in the most expensive
car, and be ghost Of what he might
be. These material things must be
shot through Wllh CHRISTIAN or
spiritual philosophy Of life, or they
will paganize US.
Pagans do not necessarily live in
Africa, India, or China. I am Of the
opinion that there are folks living in
our cities and in the country who are
worse than pagans. They have made
materialism their god, and measure
success by their ability to get tie
best of others and use the natural
resources to their advantage.
Whether living in the city or coun-
try, men and women need religion, for
/ without religion we cannot see life
as God sees life. We wilt never get
within thousand miles of under
i