Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-30
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
What's Your Line
whats your line?" is a
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

AAACoV oAbAAA4ANo4Ab 4oCAJ AL ally
personnel QUESTIONABLE. Be-
ing interpreted the question
means, what do you sell?''
Every worthwhile life has
as its ruling passion the deep
desire to sell the world some
thing.
In the com m erciai
world, flamboyant salesman
ship bombards eyes and ears
with an avalanche of glitter
ing appeals calculated to
stimulate desire and to break
down sales resistance. The
children following the Pied
Piper Of Hamelin were but a
corporal's guard contrasted
to the inveigled millions who
today follow the jig-players
and ditty-singers as, with
soaring superlatives, they ex-
alt their wares. Somewhat
more than a century ago
there were not more than
200 different items urged on
the average man by the
sellers. Today it is estimated
there are more than $4,000
articles, each with its barker
outside some commercial tent.
Often even cultural MASTER
pieces are desecrated by being
used as screens on which to
throw ads for filters, beer
and deodorants. Alas. that so
many experts" in the selling
game are really brazenly say
ing, This is my line-and
out of it I am going to coin
dollars" even by the use of
cheap. obnoxious and deceit
Iul technlQueS.
But contrasted to such
statesmen, for whom ethics is
but an outmoded taboo, there
is, fortunately. even a far
greater company whose
line" holds in it the hope
of the worlds future. What
is their line? Stated simply.
it is to sell unselfish good
will which alone promises
peace and plenty for all man.
kind.
In my youth it was mine
to know a most unique and
enriching personality. AS I
write, a photograph of him
is upon my desk. Somehow,
even that picture radiates
hts kindly charm. In his
sense of oneness with nature
he was like a modern ST.
Francis of Assist. To hear
him talk to the birds and the
sea was an experience never
to be forgotten. He was
saturated with the best liter
ature and his moral and
spiritual insights mirrored
the goodness of his own I'm
spoiled spirit. What was his
line? He was a preacher
nationally known. There was
never anything about his
attire to suggest his calling
He travelled much, for he was
III great demand. No wonder
that on trains, after listen
ing to his scintilating CONVEX
sation, chance acquaintance,
especially businessmen, would
inquire, What firm does he
representa-" They were sure
that, whatever he sold. he
must be a superlative sales
man. On a certain railroad
journey, after a group of
men had hung on his every
word, there came the in
evitable question from a rep
resentative of a great indus
trial flrm-never suSpecting
that he was talking to a
minister-"What's your line?
In what goods do you deal?"
Instantly came the reply as
his whole countenance lighted
up: Horizons. ! sell hori-
zons." He could not have
used a more appropriate
word to sum up the chief
concern of life. Wherever
he went he extended the
range of what men and
women see. Someone has
said that the horizon is but
the limit of ones sight.
Seeing horizons and selling
them to others is the big
gest business on earth. For it
is only stretched-out hori-
IONS which can bring truth
for. error, understanding for
prejudice, cooperation for
competition. Every spire
points to far vistas. Every
true church deals in hori-
IONS. Even a little cross
roads chapel is big enough
to keep a map Of the world
before the eyes of its people.
That was pre-eminently