Evening star., 1936-12-25
Member Of the Associated Press.
Christmas.

In the cottage of Polish peasant an
American traveller once saw an empty
chair at the Christmas board. OF q
size suited to the service of a child, 1t
symbolized the devotion Of the family
to the Holy Infant whose birth the world
celebrates today. But to father, mother,
sons and daughters, as they gathered
for the feast, the Babe of Bethlehem
was not merely theoretically present. To
them and, curiously, to their guest He
was a real participant in the Yuletide
festival. with the eyes of the spirit"
they explained, I'VE can see Him."
And the story, perhaps, is worthy of
fetelling for the Christmas of 1896.
Nothing, it seems, is required in all the
earth just now, save only the power of
the personality, the doctrine, the exam-
pie of the Savior of Mankind. His influ-
ence, certainly, has been force through
nineteen centuries of advancing civil
cation. But the full impact of His mis-
sion has not yet been felt. Strife still
dominates the planet, greed still gov
erns human conduct, sin and sorrow still
make sad the human soul. The mil
lennium has not dawned.
Hope, however, survives in the hearts
of uncounted millions of the men and
women to whom, as St. Francis of Assist
beautifully said, the Christ Child is
Little Brother. The race, undiscouraged,
aspires to peace and the fellowship for
which He was born and for which He
died. Indeed, the will to Justify His
sacrifice is stronger today than it ever
has been at any previous moment since
those tragic hours when He hung upon
the cross of Calvary. His apostles have
not preached in vain, His martyrs have
not perished uselessly. Their words and
their sufferings echo in the conscience
of every human being alive. And the
wars and revolutions of the past three
decades have taught q lesson which can
not be forgotten. There is no question
about it-mankind wants freedom, JUS
tice and harmony; wants civilization and
not chaos; wants law and order and not
anarchy; wants Heaven and not hell.
The problem is: How? But the answer
is available. Christ, with His one COM
mandment THAT We love one another"
shows the way; Christmas, with its un-
restricted charity, provides the method.
Let single generation maintain the
standards Of honesty, unselfishnesS, tol-
erance and mercy which society already
processes, and the riddle will be read
forever. The Kingdom of God is not in
feasible. 1t has been attained by thou
sands of individuals; 1t can be won by
any disciple who will leave all and
follow Me-" The need Is for humility
enough to attempt the experiment of
living in obedience to ideals universally
accepted. If that virtue can be culti-
waited generally and sufficiently, the ulti-
mate victory, now at long last SO ardently
and commonly desired, will be achieved.
The obligation lies upon individuals and
nations alike.
And the Christmas of 1885 is an occa-
sion especially appropriate for the re-
affirmation of Christ and His faith. He
knocks at every door, brings His blessing
to every family willing to open the portal
and to permit Him to enter. And, par
ticularly, since it is in the guise of
little child that He comes, the world
should be glad to make Him welcome.
Prepare His place at the table, then;
bring forth His chair, greet Him with
Joy and keep Him always! The Polish
peasant received Him in the name of
his Creator, and his American neighbor
can do no less.