Evening star., 1948-01-17

ana the cAaracterlStlcS which separated one
group from another. You can never make new
world or create sense of one mess by magnify.
ing differences. Men are beginning to see ir
the field of religion that no man ever yet built
fence so high and SO wide but that he shut
out more than he shut in. Sooner or later al
roads meet at the mountain top.
Who will ever forget the story of the break
through on the Anzio beachhead? Rather
quickly, several Italian villages were liberated
Late one afternoon one of our soldiers was
walking down the street of deserted italian
village when he came upon bombed church
He climbed over the pile of rubble, walked
down the center aisle until he stood facing the
altar which held for him the symbol of every
thing he lived by and was willing to die for.
few minlNes later, another CT walked into
the church. He had been wounded In both
hands and was carrying them in sling.
The second said to the first, II have come
here to pray, but I cannot because I am q
Catholic"
The first boy said, IT am Protestant. but
too believe in Jesus Christ. Will do9"
The Sense Of Oneness in Religion.
So the two of them knelt and the Protestant
made for the Catholic the sign Of the cross,
and they prayed in silence. When he got up,
the Protestant boy said he found himself cry
ing and, looking out of the corner Of his eye,
he noticed that the Catholic boy was crying,
too. Then, writing about 1t, he said, 'I wonder
II God was crying. too think He was" A
sense Of oneness in religion is one Of the hope
full signs of the times.
Then, too, you see this return to religion
in the demand for reality. If words can save
the world, this earth should be paradise. But
words are never enough. There are some ideas
which are too big for words. One day Har-
ward student was sitting in the study Of the
eminent philosopher, Josiah Royce. The stu
dent said, prof. Royce. what Is the definition
Of Christian?" Prof. Royce replied, II do
not know what the definition of Christian
is but there goes Philips Brooks
The tragedy and falsity Of the past have been
that we have tried to define religion with
words. That is never enough. What you
say must conform with what you are What
you claim for religion must find expression
with the way you live with religion If there
is contradiction between what you profess
and the way you live, nothing comes of It.
Religion does bring Joy and peace, but 1t
cannot make good its claims until it Is in
carnated in somebody's life. The greatest
single need of organized religion is to make
1t real in day-by-day life.
There Is man In New York who has come
up the hard way. He has today great af1uence
and influence, but is one Of those rare men
who does not put 1t on his back. He always
walks down the avenue wearing an old slouch
hat and faded raincoat. Some time ago he
was walking through Grand Central Station
when he saw a sailor in seeming difficulties.
He asked the sailor If he could do anything for
him. The sailor looked him up and down
and saw the old clothes and said, II guess
not" However, the sailor was prevailed upon
to have bite of breakfast with the man, and
related that his purse had been stolen on his
way home. The New Yorker walked to the
ticket window and bought him first-class
ticket home handed 1t to him and gave him
SD to see him. through. -..
AS they walked to the train, the sailor said
to his benefactor II wish you would give me
your card and tell me who you are, so that
can repay you" (Ie did that five days latero
Let me call the man Mr.. Smith. He reached
In his purse and handed the sailor his personal
card The sailor recognized the name, and
said, $50 you are Mr.. Smith of New York. are
you? Well, I will always think OF you as
Jesus Christ wearing faded raincoat."
Yes, in spite of all the evidences OF disillu-
sionment there is growing awareness OF
religion everywhere in this country, which
finds expression in new search for oneness
and a new demand for reality in religion
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