The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1952-09-13

imperishable: his legacy Of reli gion
Experience of God
0NE THING every one will thini
Of: the Psalms. Bible student.
realize that the titles Of the Psalm.
are not part of the original psalms
but represent later editors belief.
as to the authors. However, scholar.
are agreed that David did write
some Psalms and may In fact bs
called the father of the psalm-book
Now the chief importance of
any Psalm is not that IL is a
hymn or has been the basis of
other hymns las most of them
have); II is not simply that 1t Is
beautiful and unforgettabIe
poetry. The main point Is that II
is a first-hand record of first
hand experience Of God.
We do not always realize how
much of our own religious expert
ence grows out Of the experience OF
others. We would lack much of our
interest in God and knowledge OF
him IL we had not been walked up,
SO to speak, by some one else first.
Think Of the millions of readers OF
the 23rd Psalm, for instance, from
David's time to now,-the millions
who have been inspired and COM
forted by it. How much we owe to
David!
Singing Faith
yETE CHRISTIANS owe to David
" also that blending of beauty
with religion which is mark of our
faith. Beauty apart from religion
can drag men down and destroy
them. Religion apart from beauty is
usually harsh and cold affair.
There is a great deal of irreligious
beauty and unbeautiful religion in
the world. and neither Of them does
the world much good.
But for David religion and
beauty flowed into each other,
or rather beauty found It's high
est level In the service of God.
1t was not only in the words and
music of the Psalms.
While David did not build the
Temple, he dreamed 1t, and before
stone was laid he could see In his
minds eye the fine carvings, the
gold inlays, the cypress and the fir,
the brilliantly woven hangings; all
the gorgeous cleaning Temple that
he never lived to see, was in his
mind and heart. He 1t was who gath
cred singing men and singing wom-
en- for the worship of God the Lord.
Whatever beauty there Is in our
church buildings, In our hymns, in
our services, we owe much of the
original inspiration of it to David.
"Where Cross the Crowded
Ways of Life"
pELIGION that cannot be applied
- to daily living, religion that is a
purely solitary affair, has never
been typical Of the best In Chris
tianity. Christianity has something
to say to the world, our word, our
world, something to do in it, Chris
tianity in retreat, in hiding, is not
full Christianity.
Perhaps we owe more of this
ideal TO David than we realize.
For when he came to the throne,
the ark-sacred symbol OF the
presence Of God---was i'm a little
Out-of-the-way place where few
could know Of 1t. David took that
ark and brought II to the nations
capital. Shrine and city must DO
united.
So wherever today the church
stands literally or figuratively at
the crossroads of life, challenging
inviting, winning men, a constant
reminder Of God, we should be
thankful to David, who set the SYM
Dol Of his religion in the very center
OF his nations principal city.
Faith Faces Forward
NNE MORE thing must be men,
~ toned, which we owe at least In
part to David. 1t Is q characteristic
Of both Jewish and Christian faith:
Hope.
Some religions are religions OF
regret Their golden age is In
the past; as they see il the
world is either going around and
around In meaningless circle or
In hopeless decay.
But any one who will read the
Psalms with penetrating eye can
see how bright the future is to the
Psalmisps mind. Bright, because It
belongs to God. II Paul can say that
hope is one of the things that en-
duses, along with faith and love, he
was not the first to think It. David
long ago sang his songs of hope,
and for this legacy too we may be
grateful.