Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-25
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT gN,t
The Eastward Window
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
cearlaln Of ths United states senate

More than we reallze, NE
"a made or maITed by the
windows through which We
gaze. Always the eyes peer
Ing from the inside Of q win
dow have much 10 do with
what one sees on the outside.
For our characters master
our eyes and declare our
kinships and our afiinities.
Eyes color the glass through
which they look.
Now the room Of each
house Of life has two prin-
cipal windows which 10 some
extent the owner colors.
There Il the westward win
dow and the eastward win
dow. Life n colored largely
by what these windows come
70 mean 10 the one living
within.
The westward window
holds captive q panorama Of
the past. There one gazes at
the yesterdays. This Is the
window OF experience. the
window Of history. OF course.
that window must never be
kept curtained. IL has much
10 tell US. The most sacred
places Of life are plainly Wis
Idle from that vantage point.
But as the afternoon sun
Of our own brief day sinks
lower and lower the insidious
temptation Is TO look almost
exclusively at that window,
gazing with pensive and nos
talgic mood. But life Is over
when one refuses TO be
budged from the old rocking
chair at the westward win
dow. At best the past is q
budapest but never q hitch
ing post. The western win
dow's contribution 10 the
present Is suggested by the
indispensable little mirror
before the eye Of the driver
In an automobile. And what
Is that mirror for? It is there
to give a quick glimpse Of the
road behind in order that one
may navigate in safety the
road that lies ahead.
That brings US to the other
one Of the two essential win
dows in the living room Of
life-the eastward window.
That is the window Of the
dawning day - that is the
window Of hope - the win
dow Of beginning again -
the window Of great expec-
tations. Huxley said. Facts
are ventriloquists' dummies
ON one mans knee they
say one thing, on another
mans knee they say an
other" In the Old Testa-
ment there is q significant
scene. 1t is a deathbed. Elisha
the prophet is about to move
from the mortal stage. The
young king, Joseph, stood by
his side as ebbed out life's
little day. He was looking
through the westward window
at the past. He saw nothing
but sorrow and despair and
bitter loss. He was broken
hearted and filled with fear
about the future. Everything
fine and fair seemed about
to end because soon he knew
he must face q world without
Elisha In it. Then the old
man Strengthened up in his
bed. pointed his bony finger
at the whimpering young
king and said, Get up! Open
the window eastward Now
shoot!" He was saying to his
young companion, take up the
fight. This is just the begin.
ming for you. The old proph-
ct was pointing to a rising
sun.
Two friends were climbing
by night in the Pyrenees
Mountains. Suddenly a ter
rife tempest burst upon
them. In awe and terror one
Of the two exclaimed, This
looks and feels like the end
Of the world" "Oh. no."
cried his friend who had
been there before, "this is
how the dawn comes in the
Pyrenees." It was through
that eastern window that
for one Of the greatest
prophets Of our modern
Christianity the crash ant
thunder Of today was sound
ing as the signal for the
salutation Of the dawn as he
cries, II believe in. Gods
righteous purpose which
though it may be temporarily
thwarted and set at naught
cannot ultimately be defeat
ed. / believe in Christ al
against anti Christ. in faith
and hope and love, as against
godlessness and denial and
cynicism and tyranny. I be-
lieve in the dawn as against
the darkness" In this mod