The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-05-21

He was in the world and the
world was made by him and the
world knew him not.-John 1:IO.
Spiritual blindness is the inability
to recognize and appreciate spiritual
values. There is resident in every
soul a spiritual element. an innate
universe wherein all moral and spir-
tual tendencies have their birth.
their nourishment and their growth.
Through this spiritual avenue or
medium divine communications are
pouring in, spiritual understanding
is formed. the reason is directed and
a productive soil is developed for
spiritual growth and enlightenment.
But is it a truth too evident that
all this spiritual illumination with
which God beams upon us is capable
not only of being hindered and de-
stroyed. but worse even than that, of
being actually converted into a deep
err darkness and a denser midnight.
If we wilfully and deliberately close
our hearts and minds to this divine
inflow, if we close the avenue of
divine communication and impress
sion, if we close and bar the gate to
the sniritual what else may we expect
but blindness? Well and truly did
Christ declare: THE light of the
body is the eve. if therefore thine
eve be SINGLE thy whole body shall be
full of light. But if thine eve be evil,
thy whole body shall be full of dark
ness. If therefore the light that is in
thee be darkness, how great is that
darknessw
How II Is Developed
There are manifold things that
contribute to spiritual blindness and
moral amourosis. We live in two
o-'e"t worlds, the visible and the in
visible. The unseen realities are far
superior, far more beautiful and far
more important than the things that
are seen. The world we see and
feel and touch shall pass away but
the unseen is permanent and abiding
When we live only in the visible and
give it our time and our interest and
our hearts then the sniritual elements
of our nature atrophy and die and
we become insensible to the presence
of the divine. If we consciously fail
to properly exercise the spiritual
perceptions which God has given us.
by meditation, by PRAYER and relig-
ious thought-then these perceptions
not only weaken but finally pass
away, leaving the soul cognizant only
If tho visible and the nerishable. A
life that is spent in worldly pleasure
will. likewise, bring death to spiritua
| promptngs and inclination. Much
care brings the same result while any
vilful unbelief or strong prejudice
caves the spiritual emaseulated and
| torn.
Results of Spiritual Blindness
Christ was in the world and the
porld was made by him, yet the
world knew him not, and because OF
the wilfu blindness of his own no
ton mighty night of darkness and
death settled upon them and they
were left to wander alone. What can
be worse than spiritual darkness? TIC
what may we compare it? 1t is like a
| traveller, walking alone, overtaken by
night in a strange wood. What was
clear becomes misty and shrouded
| Phantoms and shadows, weird and
ehostly, fit here and there to fright
on and torment as the lost one wan.
ders without direction or hope. Nc
friendly voice to cheer. no hand tc
direct, no light to CLEAN and lead
| the way out of the terrifying dark.
ness. Nothing present but the con
seriousness that he is lost. A ship is
on the sea. The waves are wild and
fierce. the winds pile high the froth-
ing main. The heavens are black with
climbing clouds The dark vastness
of the ocean waits to swallow its vic
tim. yet on that ship there is no
chart, no compass, no anchor. No
power but that to drift until like
some lurching phantom she sinks to
rise no more. So is he who is with
out divine guidance in his life, so
Is he who is spiritually blind.