Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-11
Religious Questions
DISCUSSED BY
DR.. S. Parkes Cadndn.

Q. Can you explain Jesus 80 that
can really understand Him?
have heard many orthodox sermons
about Him, but they do not remove my
difficulty. Also. kindly name q good
book dealing with this question.
A. Your confession that you are
greatly interested in the Master, but
cannot accept the orthodox accounts Of
His person, Is by no means singular. On
the contrary, 1t is striking aspect of
the modern mind. He was never so
fascinating to believers and non-believ-
ers as He Is today.
Begin with the three synoptic Gospels
which show you how the doctrine of
the incarnation was developed around
the being of this Galilean peasant by
those who knew Him best. Here you
see Him as a real man, living at given
time, conditioned by its environments
and laboring under its disadvantages.
Yet, in and through these, Jesus so re-
vealed the nature and character of God
that His earliest disciples were con-
WINGED Of His Messiahship.
The evangelists do not forget His
humanity in their conviction Of His
divinity. In fact, they know Him as
one of themselves until His person and
work evoke from them the unavoidable
conclusion that He IS other, far other,
than themselves. Do not be afraid of
asking questions about this transform
ing process The first disciples were
puzzled as you are. They asked ques-
tions such as yours and found the an
swers in Jesus Himself. So will you If
you find them, anywhere. He Is His own
sufficient explanation.
Realistic efforts to meet the historical
and philosophical requirements Of the
revelation He made are not injurious.
st. Paul and ST. John, to whom refer
you, met those requirements and in
creased the human consciousness Of the
divine values of their Lord. But belief
in Jesus is not the result Of investiga-
ton alone. It arises from your SYM
pathetic relations with His entire self
manifestation. Everything in 1t belongs
to one who is exceptional in regard to
purity, justice, love and compassion.
His temptations, trials and triumphs are
those Of the most extraordinary person.
atty in history. The truths He taught
not only present themselves to the world
as the sure and Steadfast word of the
father for all His children. They are
also so embodied in Jesus that what he
says is but the overflow of what He was.
It is a progressive experience, deeply
AFFILIATED with your own spiritual de-
AIldliuS dS u oOLl VI 6ilC ullhiAICs NON~
slider all the profound humility, the ire
mendous authority, the endless signif-
icance Of Mary's son, who Is also the
Lord Of men. Review His meanings for
the human race during the last 1000
years. think you can then arrive at
a reasoned Judgment about Him which
will be the primal source of your best
life. I suggest that you read Jesus Of
Nazareth" by Bishop Gore, and Jesus
Christ and the Human Quest" by Prof
Edwin Lewis.
@. Is not the present age one Of the
worst the world has seen? Our pastor
believes it indicates the approaching
end of the world.
A. I suggest you and your pastor
should read Trevelyan's EARLY Life Of
Charles James Fox" Society was then
one vast casino, in which everybody
who was anybody gambled, drank,
danced and fiddled to their hearts
content. On whatever pretext and
under whatever circumstances, says this
author, where half o dozen people were
found together the dice box was sure
to be rafting and cards were being cut
and Shuff1ed.
The lottery was q government insti-
tuition exceedingly detrimental to the
moral tone of the populace. It was
not abolished till 1928, its suppression
resulting in an annual loss to the
british government Of at least million
dollars. High play and sex tntrigues
were followed by dueling, the COM
batants, like the Kilkenny cats, fire.
quently killing each other. Perhaps
you recall how Thackeray uses the COLI
test between the Duke Of Hamilton and
Lord Mohun over fair lady's favor
for one Of the most thrilling episodes
of his finest novel, Henry Esmond."
Study the current literature Of the
stage Of the Georges, and contrast the
industrial and city population Of that
we know. I do not think that either
of you will deny, on further informa-
ton, that, while the twentieth century
confronts numerous and serious prob
lens, 1t Is infinitely more JNst, humane
and in the true sense spiritual than
was the eighteenth.
Predictions of doom from heralds of
disaster serve no good end and only
lead fanatical groups who believe In
them to the excuses kindled by despair.
Jesus came unto Galilee preaching
"the good news" of Gods kingdom OF
deliverance and righteousness to those
who were buried in hopeleSSness ana
misery. Let your church resound with
that news and 1t will accomplish Its
specific mission.
Q. As a recent visitor to the Holy
Land, have wondered il the sacred
places pointed out in Jerusalem are
really authentic or only imaginary. Can
you enlighten me?
A. The present city was largely built
during the thirteenth and following
centuries. The circumstances under
which 1t was reconstructed necessarily
made 1t a fortress against invasion.
Repeated Sieges and wars have buried
the former cities on this historic site
beneath their successive ruins. The
later day of our Lord has almost dis
Here and there q few fras-
ments remain and perhaps the only as
sured sacred place Is the mount on
which stands the beautiful Mosque OF
Omar.
The traditional sites of Christ's
cruciflxion and burial are probably
fictitious. But when the visitor es-
capes from the city to its surrounding
of the Bible narratives. The Mount OF
Olives and the Brook Kearon have
their full significance for him. AS he
Journeys southwark to Jericho, or east
ward to the Jordan Valley, or the
Dead Sea and the sapphire lake OF
Galilee, the prophecies ana gospels are
reinforced by his contacts with these
famous centers Of spiritual life and
Northwestward lies Nazareth, very |
much as it was in the first century |
Of the Christian era, little village |
one of the ancient gate |
ways Of the former worlds extensive |
commerce and its many military ex-
petitions. From that hillside hamlet
the traveller glimpses the distant Med
Iterranean the spreading plains which
were once the granaries of Israel; ana
m tho far horizon the SnOW-cOVered