The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1948-12-22

More than two thousand years ago shepherds watch
ing their flocks upon Paestnan hills behed great light
which suffused the sky and in its midst appeared
emily host chanting Gory to God in the highest earth
peace, good will to men,
And at this same time brilliant star stood transfxed
above the stable of owy inn the little town of Bethle
hem 1t the Christmas STAR and when it halted in
its course three Wise Men of the East whom guided
from distant countries in search of the Prince of Peace
knew their journey DONE for they found Him wrap
ped in swaddling clothes and laying in amanger.
This in brief is the story of the first Christmas Since
that eventful morning mankind has a long way.
Science, invention and the ingenuity of make life
easier to live, but turned to the of war; they also
make it easier to kill Today the journey of the Wise
Men would be matter of hours; the Birth would take
place, not in manger, but in the maternity ward of
hospital the lowly inns have given way modern hotels
But the calm and peace of that first Christmas morn
ing The shepherds and their focks have been
replaced by armed men, the silent streets of Bethlehem
ring with the tramp of military patrols For the Holy
Land about which clusters much sacred history where
the message of peace and good will first proclaimed
is the most unhappy and troubled country
happy and troubled world.
The story of Christmas apart from its religious sig
nfcance, to many beautiful Legend to the followers
of the Prince of Peace it is Divine Truth Before
worked its havoc upon human relaaions, Christmas
fast becoming universal holiday It's basic principle of
good will to accepted by all creeds the Christ
which to the glory of the Christmas tree not
symbol of any creed, but emblem of mutual
understanding and neighborly good will
The world now knows in greater measure than ever
before that the price of is than "blood and
sweat and tears It is disruption dsocation privation
and DEATH and payments continue long after the fighting
has its Wars ravaged the earth long before
the dawn of the first Christmas morning. and have
tinued all through the Christian Each succeeding
has been devastating than the last but each
December the Christmas Star has appeared often shining
through the smoke of battle always holding out the hope
of reconciliation through the spirit of good will.
On this fourth postwar Christmas fear casts brood
ing shadow great part of the world Cold and hun
ger stalk Western Europe Asia is wracked by civil war;
midas newfound freedom threatened by outbreaks of
bitter hatred and religious intolerance and the
ton of peace is deadlocked by conflicting ideologies
How fortunate of America. Here the Spirit of
Christmas ren and those of every and creed
may partake of Yuletde joy. There will be Christmas
trees brightly lighted and surmounted by the STAR toys
for the children food for ALL and the opportunity for
everyone celebrate the traditional of and
good will in his own way and his faith dictates
America is one of the few lands where the saluta-
tion-'Merry Christmas-wi not be mockery, and
pass the CHEEKY greeting let be mindful of the needs
of those whose Christmas wars desoation has made
poor indeed.