The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-13
BY WIZ. e. GILROY, d. d.
rai4or Of the Cnngrega tiOnalist

kbN WIZ. As NhAI-DO - 49,
Editor of the CoDgregatiOnaiist
With the defeat and deatn OIL
Saul in the Battle of Gilboa, Davlds
ornortunity as king became deli
mite. He had chance now TO de-
vote to the service of the nation the
ENERGIES that hitherto he had spent
as the leader of a somewhat irregu-
lar band, and ne was freed also
from the dangers which Saurs Jea-
lousy and madness constantly Gre
ated for him. Apparently also the
nation rallied to his leadership ana
at Hebron, the principal city OF
Judah, and made that solidarity
evident
Needed Religious Unity
There was, however, still an i'm
nortant work to be achieved In Is
rael 1t was the work OF creating
religious unity similar to the new
national solidarity.
Let us notforget that it is primi-
hive age that we are dealing with
Ind not an era of enlightened
spiritual Christianity. The Bible
reveals to us the stages by Wnlcn
true religion came to its expression
in the lives of men. AS we go be-
yond the more vital expressions OF
religious feeling in the conservation
of individual hearts to God, we find
religion consisting more in forms
and SYMBOLS with emphasis upon its
social aspect in the community
rather than upon its individual and
personal aspect.
Hitherto for a long time the
Ark of the Covenant had ceased 10
have the place of prominence that
It had occupied when it had been
carried before the people in their
coming to Canaan, and in their
labor of conquest In fact, the Ark
was at present not even in the Gus
tody of Israel, but was in the keep
ing of Philistine, Obededon.. The
report, however, was that Cbededom
and all his affairs prospered greatly
because of the Ark, and this, with
the purpose of giving the nation a
rallying center religiously, led David
to bring the Ark from the house of
Obededon into the "city of David"
or, as we should say, into the CAPT.
tai of the nation
1t is easy to be critical of the ele-
ment of superstition that was I'M
doubtedly present in all of this; but
perhaps one should distinguish be-
tween mere superstition and that
really devout religious feeling which
expressed itself very largely in
forms and symbols. 1t would be
great mistake to assume that be-
cause people attach much impor-
lance and reverence to forms and
ymbols their worship is not real.
These things are to some extent
matters of temperament, but it is
noticeable that it is not easy either
in political or religious life to solid
ify the interests and life of a peo-
pie without certain outward signs
end symbols. There are shrines,
for instance, in the national life to-
day that have very real meaning
and though it might be said that
one can live essentially in the spirit
of Lincoln without ever seeing the
Lincoln Monument, yet that monu-
ment has become very real symbol
OF the Nations devotion to the
ideals Of the man whom the nation
honorS.
Religions Place in Life
The Ark of the Covenant minis
tered in primitive way In Israel
to this factor in the life of the peo-
pie. David, as we have already
seen, was a strange mixture of
roughness and fineness, peculiar
blending of warrior and poet, with
certain elements of the saint badly
buried beneath his deep tempta-
tons and his gross sins, but none
the less in evidence as he came into
. leadership of the people.
II sight, perhaps, lbe remembered
that here, we have exemplified the
place that religion does play in the
life of people and nationally. 1t
would be folly to suggest that na-
tons that still are so far removed
from the ideals and ways of Jesus,
as are the modern nations of the
western world, are essentially Chris
tan. Yet we may easily underesti-
mate the Importance of region in
the life of nation with secular
foundations.
" Religion, as the word suggests, is
a great binding power, and it is
largely in the siinplification and
publication of the religious life of
the people that we create the con-
ditions for sound national progress.
II We could at the present hour
bring the entire American people
into practical allegiance aud devo-
ton to the ideals of love and
brotherhood exemplified by Jesus
of Nazareth. what a chanped nation,