Evening star., 1931-12-20

! tional crises We ought to show other
nations only overwhelming forgive
ness, love and trust as the one If
rasiStible weapon Of them all, his pas
siorate belief that every human beirg
in the world should be fed, first of alt
before he is educated, or policed, before
he is sent to eye and throat clinics,
before his mail is delivered or his army
organized. Does this Self-styled Atheist
for one instant forget that these
theories did not exist in the world until
that one authentic voice said: Love
your enemies, do good to them that
hate you and despitefully use you" and
blessed are the merciful-one cup of
water given to the least Of these
iced the hungry-clothe the naked.
ye are my disciples, that ye love one
another?'
EVEN after 1000 years we don't get
very far with this policy. for we
are poor human stuff. But it was abso-
lutely revolutionary when this obscure
Carpenter seriously taught it. as a So
luton 10 mans problem 1t is as if He
were teaching a few fishermen that
black was white. To share what you
had instead Of boarding it, to meet
hate with love instead of more hate
ah, what a Christmas this Christmas
would be if we had done that for 1000
years! We've had wars. in His name;
we've boarded money, in His name
we've looked placidly through crystal
windows to see our fellowmen starving,
in His name
But He has nothing to do with all
that. HIS message of forgiveness. love
and sharing unchanged He returns.
with the punctual, unhurrying unhes-
ltatlng days, and we know He is there.
secure and tiny and sound asleep, in
His mothers arms, in that shabby first
resting place of His that the cattle and
shepherds shared.
About Him washes the great tide of
our Christmas excitement; shop win
doWs. trees, gifts, holly, evergreen
wreaths, flying letters and cards and
kilograms, happy children, happy old
folk, surprises, family gatherings,
church bells and organ music solemnly
straining over the bowed heads of His
friends.
Much Of this, of course, is only the
guinea's stamp; the baby is the gold,
for all that.
To share this miracle, to fill any
heart with song and hope and Joy on
Christmas day, it is only necessary to
clean out Of our hearts that everything
that isn't love. Love fulflls His law
Hate suspicion, resentment may seem
completely justified; the cruelty anu
misunderstanding that all of us meet
as We go along may seem hard and re-
vengeful feeling only reasonable and
right. But they are never reasonable
or right, and they clog and blind the
soul, and often the body. too. The
Baby's birthday takes no count of them.
II we can't forgive and forget, we can
at least ask for strength and simplicity
to do so. If there is some one who is
being stubbornly unfriendly. we can
make an overture at least in that
direction.
WHAT If the overture doesn't reach
the angry heart? 1t will lift
yours. And overtures made In His
name have strange power to weaken
the fibers of resolute hate Tears rush
to eyes that have long been dry under
the devastating power of a tender an
apologize word, and the ice in trou-
bled hearts breaks up forever
There are households in which a
whole day of sweetness. of soft voices
and generous greetings. of happiness
and laughter and harmony and love,
would be miracle. If the wife and
mother and manager of any such
household chances to be reading these
words, she herself can work a Christ
mas miracle next Friday.
May that day to all of you be a
happy day, and bring us all little
nearer, even for a few hours, to the
Kingdom itself.
(CopyriEht, 1e3lD