The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-12-23
Universe Called Mad
 World By Dr. Walker
Second Church Pastor Says New NatiOnalisms Have
 Arisen Since Last War in Sermon Yesterday

Rev. Dr. John c. Walker, pastor of the Second Congregational church, yesterday told his parish toners yesterday from the pulpit that this is a mad world in his ser- mon ''The Hopes and Fears of All the Years.
 Excerpts from his sermon fol- low: Even when we want the right things we have an unhappy way, an insane and hopeless way, of seek ing the ends which are honest and right. As the newspaper man says, 'Men carry guns on their shoulders because diplomats have been carry ing chips on theirs" For ten thous- and years might has made right in most cases, the strong have op- pressed the weak, powerful men and great nations have set themselves above the claims of elemental right and justice. Where is this Glory to God in the highest" this speace and good will among men?" Must 1t always be at the mercy of selfishness and hate?
 Well Faith goes .gainSt appear ces,"-alwayS And there is an awakened conscience in the world today never known before. The weak have champions, if not primarily with the governments, then with the great mas sof the peoples in other lands. Fears abound and yet I think hopes are higher across the world than ever before. The common man is dreaming dreams of peace and plenty where the generations which have gone before took peStilence and plague, poverty and want, war and disaster, as inevitable.
 Our hopes are still enshrined in the song of the angels. Glory to God in the highest. We must not forget in nour byusy western world that flower called reverence which was meant to bloom within the human heart. The story of that great new inch lens now being polished for California Institute of Technology with the expectation of seeing 100,- 100000 new univerSeS does but re- mind me of how an Arab Sheik re- buked Colonel Lawrence when he told the tribesmen of the wonders of the telescope. You foreigners see millions of stars, and nothing be- yond. We Arabs see only a few stars --and God"
 The way of peace is the way of good will. The good name, the good will of a business firm, invisible and intangible though it be, is the one priceless asset without which no suc- cess can long endure. Good will in a family and in a community alone make life worth the living. Good will, the priceless, brotherly good will of the Christmas season. must be spread abroad through the year, through the nation, through the world.
 Our hopes and fears are mingled at this Christmas season. Our world is unhappy and distraught. There is war and there are runlorS of wars on the horizon. All is not well. All is indeed very ill and with many a great nation and people. Our own position is none too secure. Long ago the prophet proclaimed a day when men should beat their swords into plowshares and their spears int.s pruning hooks. Long ago over Bethlehem the angels sang Glory to God in the highest. peace on earth, good vii Ito men," We are not beatz in gour swords into plowshares. We are laying in larger supply of swords and spears or rather of those more diabolical modern weap- ons which correspond. Italian chil- dren are bringing in their toy trains and their tricycles to be melted mothers are asked to give their down for war materials. Italian wedding rings for gold to buy few more shells, bit more oil, little more cotton to make the high explo- SiveS.
 Christmas is the Festival of the Child,"' 1t is the season of joy and good will. There is nothing in hu- man experience that can lift the human heart higher in hope and ex- pectation than the story of the birth There is Tess of anxiety and selfish concern at Christmas than at any other time in the course of the live long year, there is more happiness and more hopefulness abroad at this Christmas season than there has been since Christmas was with us a year ago. And yet there are fears as well as hopes that go with Christmas and it may be well tc speak of them as we pass by. There is always the danger than men may think that the way of life is broad and fair. that the gate is open ano easy of access, whether or no we have prepared our hearts for the gift of Gods love.
 Some shall rise and some shall fall in the light of the Christmas mes- sage. Some shall praise and some shall blame. To some the coming ot Christmas is the token of Gods re- deeming love, to others it is a sigr to be spoken against. Christmas ano the things for which it stands con-