Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-12-02
RELIGION AND LIFE
by rev. A. H. Rapking)

the TWO automobiles Just going by,
only one had the lights turned on. The
hay grey clouds are appearing more
distinctly as the struggle continues
between light and darkness. Some of
the passengers on the train which |
have just boarded at Clarksburg are
rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
Thus with the birth of new day, we
rouse ourselves from our peaceful
dreams to direct in conscious man.
ner our lives for another day.
What win we think, feel. see, will,
and hear this day? That depends very
largely upon what we are. As we
start the new day, we are like the
GENERA in which we have placed new
film. We go forth to take pictures of
life every day. We have much to do
with the making of the film with
which we take pictures. Our interest
and desires of yesterday will in the
main command our attention and en-
ergy today. AS the stream in the
main follows its beaten path toward
the sea, so our stream of conscious
ness keeps moving to the time we will
focus our attention on the realities of
life in the light of a newborn eternal
day
What we will see, feel, will, think.
and hear today is part of the process
that goes on in our lives day by day
which will determine our capacities
in ten thousand years from today.
Care should be taken lest our stream
Of consciousness become filthy. dirty,
and immoral, thus destroying the finer
senses of the soul as the waste from
the chemical plant destroys the fish
that otherwise would live and prosper
Every evil thought, word. OF deed that
registers in our consciousness to-day
will make 1t more difficult for us 20
be at our best tomorrow and forever.
None Of US can entirely keep every
thing out Of our lives that Will keep
US from being as pure ana noble as we
could and ought to be, but thai should
be our constant aim and goal. Is the
weaver selects the pattern and cglors
which he weaxes into the finished pro
duct, so we, day by day, consciously
and unconsciously select the pattern
and material and weave into our lives
those things which will either mar or
glorify our existence during The end
less unborn ages beyond 1926.
In casting about for perfect pat
tern, we have to look into the realm
of the human and the divine. Our
neighbors are not perfect to as nor
are we perfect to our neighbors. In
thinking of perfection the spiiitual,
the divine, has to be taken into con-
sideration. IN fact, it is the ritual
that gives significance and ming
to the material In the realm If the
spiritual, He who was babe in the
manager, who spent His life 'eachilg
and going about doing good, who died
on the old rugged cross as testi-
inony Of His sincerity. of His faith
in His philosophy Of life, His belief
in God, the Father, and in the human
rage, towers mountain-high above all
others who have made contributions
in the development Of lives worth
while.
The good news of the Gospel Is that
Christ is alive and anxious 70 nc our
companion and give as the benest of
His wisdom and rich experience, intro
duce us to His father, and the spirit
ual realm, help US to interpret onr
daily struggles in overcoming difficult
ties and in selecting and doing those
things that will help us to eliminate
more and more the unworthy from cur
lives and put in their stead, the good;
the true, and the beautiful
The train keeps rolling on to my
destination, Washington, D. c. But I
know full we'll that that is not the
terminal of my life The experiences
of attending another annual meeting
of the American Country Life Asso-
citation for the third time will help to
enrich my life just little, which in
turn | will share with you.
A discussion on Farm Yoetn" by
DR. W. NJ Jardine, Secretary of Agri-
culture, messages from DIR. Kenyon l.
Butterfield of Michigan, DR.. Dwight
L. Sanderson Of New York, and other
outstanding leaders from all parts of
the United States will, am confident,
prove helpful. | expect TO take soIae
pictures very much worth While dur
ing the next few days,
What kind Of pictures are you tax
ing day by day. and what kind q a
film are you making % be exposed I'M
der the direction Of your intelligence
in the future?