The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1946-10-17
SER NJ NETTE
THE CROSS IN LIFE
BY REV. FLOYD R. GAUGLER

There are many who want the
good things of life without making
the sacrifices that are necessary to
achieve them. But the good, true,
and beautiful things of life do not
come that way. Even the things
that we say come from inspiration
demand disciplined minds and con-
certed action. The discovery which
amounts to something in society
comes after years of experiment
and labor, as the discovery of ra-
dunn came. But many of us want
these things of the Kingdom Of
God without eXerting any patience
and labor. We want peace to come
overnight without the dangers in
volved in frankly facing the prob
lens that could be ignored at the
moment to arise as threat In the
future. Jesus knew that the best
things can come only out of sac
rifice and suffering whether that
be a sensitive, conscientious Chris
tian character; a stable, happy
home; or a brOtherly, friendly
community. Jesus said, eff any
man would come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me-" The best things in
life come through a cross.
No one would deny the desira-
bility of the Kingdom of God-the
goals and ambitions for individual
and community life which Jesus
taught and lived and in the end
died for. Politicians, scientists,
educators, professional men, and
the average man all agree that
what Jesus taught as the aim OF
life is the best goal that has ever
been set for men to strive for. Inc
spirit of God in the heart of men
influencing society, that's what
Jesus taught. Love in actlon--the
love of God cleansing the heart
and mind of a person and sending
him out with a sensitive conscience
and a burning passion for the
physical and spiritual needs OF
men. Sensitive to the cries OF
hunger and the thirst for under
standing and friendship. But most
of all, seeing and helping to allie
viate the desperate need for God.
These things are what we feel the
world needs. We appreciate the
desirability and the beauty of
them. We love that kind of poss-
ibility. But will we bear the cross
that such may come to pass? Let
me repeat it: Christ hath now
many lovers of His Kingdom but
few bearers of His cross"
After all the Sermon on the
Mount cannot be outdated. The
vision of men touched by the
Spirit of God cannot be clouded,
We all see the truth and need of
Christ's hope and endeaVOr for us
personally and for the world. We
love the things that Jesus worked
for and taught; and sometimes we
wonder why life cannot be built
that way, especially when we lose
the consciousness of how powerful
sin and evil really is. The Golden
Rule, the love of enemies, Justice
tempered by mercy, all that the
word love can mean-theSe are the
things we believe in and would
like to see come to life in the
world But, they can come only
through a cross
Why then does the Kingdom
tarry that we pray for in the
Lords prayer? Why is love over
ruled by hate, mercy shadoWed by
strict, cruel justice, beauty marred
by disharmony and ugliness? Why
do uncertainty, confusion, and fear
obstruct the coming of peace?
Surely it is not because we do not
love these things and want them.
Is it not that no matter how much
we appreciate the beauty of Jesus
and the truth and power of His
teachings for the good life, we are
not willing to take the cross that
they might come? 1t doesn't
matter how much we plan and
work for a better world, there
must be better people first; and
better people come through the
Cross of Jesus. 1t is at the cross
that sin goes and one finds himself
and sees the way. 1t is there that
a person is filled with the spirit
of Christ and is impelled by a
great urgency for the need OF
his fellow men. Then, having
found himself as a dignified and
important child of God he takes
I'D the cross, his cross. And this is
more than a symbol; it is the spirit
and life. The cross means love cut
ting across hate; truth cutting
across falsehood; honesty cutting
across temptation to dishonesty;
trust and faith cutting across Sus-
picion and pride; the spirit OF
brotherhood cutting across a sense
of superiority. Whenever a person
puts the spirit and principles OF
Christ into. practice, he bears q
cross. We may stand or kneel be
fore the cross of our Saviour with
a deep feeling of gratefulnesS and
humbleness and with a sense OF
the beauty of His life and teaching
but only as we catch His Spirit
and leave with a sense of forgive
ness and a heightened endeaVor tC
live like Christ has the cross be
come real to u.s. We must do more
than love His Kingdom; we mus
take the cross into our experience
and into the life of our world
After the earthquake and fire II
San Francisco when so much de
struction and suffering came t.
that city, a pastor went to Wha
had been a beautiful House o
Worship Now it was a picture o
ruin and desolation. AS he made hi
way through the debris of plaster
brick, stone and splinters Of tina
great church he came to his study
Here, too, he found only ruin ant
disorder. On the floor lay all kind
of rubbish from the wall, ceiling
desk and furniture. He looked a
il with a feeling of helpleSsness
Suddenly his attention CentereC
on the cross which he had kept OF
his desk as a reminder Of Wha
God had done for him. 1t wa