New Britain herald., 1930-02-24

mental contradiction between Chris
 tianity and any narrow nationalsm.
 Christianity teaches that all nations
 are equal in the sight of God. Chris
 tianity tells us that the Almighty
 Father plays no favorites. Christi
 anity insists that Gods purpose
 for mankind is q fellowship, which
 shall make of all humanity one
 family. The spirit of Christ ineviL-
 ably breaks down the attitude of
 superiority, which the people of one
 nation tend to assume toward those
 O. another. In a Christian world,
 there Is, or perhaps we might bet
 ter say, there will be no room for
 nation which seeks to enrich itself
 at the expense of others; no room
 for the nation that tries to dominate
 others by sheer brute force; no room
 for the nation that believes the
 loving of ones own country means
 the hating of all others. Christianity 1las nothing 10 do with any love ot
 ones own country which cannot 70
 hand in hand with devotion to the interests Of humanity. Nevertheless,
 We humans are Ccatures of d locaI- ity. Our affections twine themselves about the particular aspects of fife with z tenacity which we cannot master for the general aspects. For example, our own firesides, our own families, our own streets, and our own city, all these have meanings for Us, which firesides, families, streets and cities at large can never have. In fact, you and I feel some question of that professed love ot everybody which does not begin In practical demonstration of loyalty to some particular people. We arc Inclined to agree with Englands Gloomy Dean Ingc of St. Pauls Cathedral, London, when he askc: IT q man love not his own country which he hath seen, how shall he love humanity which he hath not sccn.'
 And I say to you in all earnest ness, any American who has seen something of the length and breadth O. his own country, who knows any thing of the history of our people and this brave experiment in dem1- cratic government; any American Who has ever looked into the wist- tul, longing faces of immigrants from overseas upon our great occ1n liners and on Ellis Island, as tn v turn their faces toward America, the land of promise in the west, is strangely lacking in appreciation if, like Jesus, he does not love the country of his citizenship.
 "What, then, are some of the feelings of Jesus for Ills country? If we can only under stand Him and feel his feelings for 0ur own America, if we can only make them a part of our own pa riotiC feelings, hopes and aspira- ions, We shall all be better Ameri- ,ans, and better Christians too, Of hat We may be very sure. For cer- ainly the Christian who has taken IS his pattern and example for all Jesus Christ, the Son Of Man. cannot afford to be any less | patriot than his Lord and Master 1
 Jesus Loved All His Countrymen
 And the first unique feature of Jesus patriotism, to which I would , all your attention here this morn ng, is this: Jesus loved all his {, We know, of course. i  vas split up into classes and groups. 1 tnd we may well believe that many 1 members of these classes and groups | ound it very hard to extend their | beyond the ranks of | heir own number. For example, | here were the Pharisees, who were | most contcmptuous of all who did |