The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1958-12-19
Joy Is Lifs's Perfume


Perfumery Is at the same time
one OF the most useless and yet
most popular things sold How
many thousand gallons OF it. viii
be sold for Christmas presents no
one knows. And yet what good Is
~. A very practical minded char
acter might ask All it does Is to
smell good All, but that 10 just the
point. Let the reader think back
over the happiest moments OF his
or her life. Isn't 1t true that some
sort Of fragrance pervadcs each
happy memory? The mint IN
Grandmother's back yard. the tur-
key at Thanksgiving. the smell OF
the Christmas tree, and the spring
lilacs. and the perfume she wore
the night she said YES" An odor-
less world would be q dull world
It's the pcrvasivc and haunting
fragrance of life that lift 1t out OF
the commonplace.
30 with Joy. Unlike perfume, Il
has no market value: but like per-
fume. It's usefulness is mainly Ia
direct As there are cheap and v,ll-
gar perfumes, SO there are cheap
and vulgar joys. But there are rare
and exquisite joys too. The same
situation. the same relationship,
the same duty. the same old story"
can be for ono person . drudgcry
and for another q delight, because
one person lacks the Joy the other
has. Just as literal doors make past
moments memorable. so joy makes
hfc's best moments memorable
Fragraaes o. Christians
Christmas is a time OF joyous
fragrances: but II they arc all for
the body and none for the soul. we
have missed the true fragrance OF
Christmas There is a word in the
Greek New Testament which. the
first time it is used John 1870
means literally fragrance the
odor Of the precious ointment
which Mary poured on Jesus. Four
other times II is used figuratively
in speaking OF the fragrance" o<
the Christian life This and another
word (I Cor 2:15. Eph. ~, Phil
4:l8) suggest that the Christian
life Is more than correct, it is
lovely. Beauty is inwoven with
Christianity. The perfume OF JOY
comes to us in the song OF the
angels. in the song Of Mary, in the
alteration o. the shepherds. Wher-
ever Christ has come, it is a. II
sour and horrible odors had been
replaced by frangrances from be-
side the River Of Life. What are
the high days the church cele-
brates? They are called. and they
are. "feasts" or festivals. Christ
mas and Easter are seasons Of Joy;
not reckless deviI-may-carc pleas
ure, which is quite another thing,
but joy that links earth to heaven.
Good News q . eseai Joy
How stupid and twisted some
definitions Of religion seem, In the
light Of the Christmas story. You
may detect at least some OF the
counterfeits passing for Christian
ity by this, that they arc joyless.
they are without fragrance. An
enemy Of Christianity once defined
religion as sum of scr'Iples in
other words, a mess OF Dont's-"
A wouldbe friend OF Christianity
defined this religion as Gods at
tack on man. We should take our
cue from the joyous angels, not
from such gloomy scholars Did the
angels sing. you'd better be afraid
we have a whole new list Of
Dont's." Did the First Angel shout
in a voice OF doom: II come to
announce Gods attack on
mani? Christmas is the word
Of freedom to men in prison, Christ
mas is the word Of Joy to world
In sorrow, the coming Of Rescuer
to world that WAS lost.
Biased or outlipes e-pyrishtad W
the Division Of Cbristiap Edueatto1.
National Council Of the Churches 81
Christ IA the q. =. A. RaleaseA ~
Community Press SeYvios.)
NARRnW ECf-ApE