Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-04-15


to feel our hearts
strongly uplifted and profoundly dis
turbed. 1t is the scene Of supreme
love for humanity, OF unfaltering 10y
atty to God. In the former aspect it
brings to us hope and consolation; In
the latter 1t challenges us to examine
the nature of our faith and the a
ner of its exercise.
Looking 1t the universe from the
standpoint Of the Cross we discover
the tremendous truth that back Of all
phenomena is love. No matter how
much Of surface contradiction there
may be; no matter how many things
appear In the history OF the race, in
the facts displayed by science, in the
experience of the individual, which
run counter to love, Calvary, If 1t has
any meaning at all. means that the
ultimate, controlling fact is love-
God is love-that Is what the Cross
means. And IL the ultimate s.gnii-
canoe of life and the universe is God.
then love is the supreme motive and
power, which, In the end, must ex-
plain all, must reconcile all, must re-
store everywhere and In all life the
harmony and happiness which our fail
ure to understand and to believe this
truth have lost to us for q time.
Faiths Foundation.
When faith lays hold upon this fact
it gets solid ground beneath its feet.
Nor a it be easily confounded by ap-
pearances. 1t has learned that the
contradictions of appearance are due
to the incompleteness of vision when
life is regarded from any other stand
point than that Of Calvary. Only at
the foot of the Cross, on the summit
Of the little hin, can we see things
in their completeness We must keep
coming back to 1t for a renewed real
ization Of the truth that when life Is
viewed steadily and as a whole, from
this focal point Of Gods purpose, love
lis seer to be the heart Of 1t.
But when faith finds the comfort o.
this fact It faces, also, the challenge
which lies in it.
The practical significance Of the fac
rests In the response which faitl
makes to 1t. The fact must be actet
upon
We derive ne benefit from the uni
versal atmosphere il we do not breath,
It into our hngs. A man with nostril,
stopped and mouth closed, dying o.
s~uffocation, does not disprove the ex
istence of air. He proves only his owT
folly In failing to appropriate the es
sential element abundantly provide.
for his life. If the room becomes sti
ding and respiration difficult we throw
open the window, acting upon oul
faith that Gods supply Of air is ample
Gods Love All Powerful.
Calvary is q challenge to faith t
act upon its belief that love is the SUI
preme force n the universe-to dar,
all things and to suffer all things II
unh~esitating reliance upon the Ger
tainty and snflciency Of Gods love t,
conquer where every other power fails
Jesus, as he turned His steps towar'
Jerusalem, faced the apparent col
lapse of His mission. II men were t
judge by the surface indications, b,
the part picture which was visible t.
them-the picture Of Jesus STANDING
alone In the grip Of His enemies
Jesus with the organized prejudice o.
hierarchical Judaism against Him
Jesus with the might Of imperia
Rome against Him; Jesus without
human friend who had the courage t
stand by Him-men could only ga
that this was catastrophe and defeal
So judging. Jesus Himself could no
have feat otherwise.
The failure Of religion to conque
the world In the name Of Jesus |
chiefly due to the fact that. too Otter
It Is thus that its opponents hav
judged. They wanted immediate, Wis
BILE results. They have shrunk froI
apparent failure, with all that 1t er
tailed of material loss and physics
suffering; they have compromised an
resorted to other sources Of seemin
strength They have builded up a
apparent success, measured In term
of wealth, or prestige, OF number
But they have sacrificed the only thin
worth while-the spiritual regeneri
ton Of humanity through the pows
of love.
Savior Chose Victory.
Jesus saw all the gloomy appea
ances Of defeat long before they owe
whelmed His disciples and sent the
scurrying to cover; but He saw th'
the only real defeat possible lay
His surrender to appearances, In II
losing faith in the love-purpose Of Go
Had He said, "1by a little concessiC
to the Temple authorities, by q sma