The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1958-04-03

8
week, it would seem appropriate
to pause in the mad rush of
modern life and think of things
that have some spiritual signi-
ficance.
The world today is in a state
of fear. Uncertainty troubles the
minds of statesmen and world
leaders as we'll as private citizens
everywhere. The invention of
fearful instruments of destruc-
ton, the inhumanity of modern
warfare, and even the dcvastat-
ing convalsions of nature call
forth the questions-why all the
strange conditions?
Will this spirit of hate and
the desire for supremacy never
end? The God of Heaven has not
left us without an answer. He
does not intend that this con-
dition shall go on unchecked
throughout eternity. He has a
plan and that plan will be car
ried out.-Nahum 1:9.
/ believe it is safe to assume
that America will not be drawn
into any new war, soon. The
frightful lessons of the last two
World Wars are too fresh in our
memories. While we supported
the great world wars earnestly
and patriotically, we were sadly
disillusioned by the insincerity
and ingratitude that we expert
enced all too painfully. And SO
America, even though COM
mitted to policy of prepared
ness for the sake of our own
national safety, is likewise COM
mitted to policy of peace.
Thus far, this discussion has
related to the practical and
visible benefits, but certainly
there is something much more
important about this Easter
week. A great philosopher once
said, "If there were no God, we
would have to make one"
This is just clever way of
speaking an age-old truth. Man
is so constituted that he must
have a higher being to look up
to and worship, being that rep
resents his ideals, his spiritual
aspirations and his hope of i'm
mortality. Man is not satisfied
with his house of clay. He wants
to live again. If man had to
believe that the grave is the
end, the hopes and joys and
happiness of all the living would
be buried deep beside the casket,
and lie there as burnt-out
embers while the cold earth was
being slowly shoveled back with
a hopeless and mournful sound
The light would go out and
| darkness would settle down over
the world like a mantle OF
despair.
The spirit of man needs to be
animated by some form of wor-
ship and when he worships, he
is lifted up and his life is much
more serene and happy. May ]
suggest that during this Holy
Week you look about you and
observe the miracles being per
formed by nature. The grass
under your feet is turning green
The buds on the trees are begin
ming to swell and give assurance
that once again the earth will
be clothed with green leaves and
flowers and beauty. All about US
soon. there will be evidence OF
renewed life and reborn nope
And now let us go back in
memory six short months. The
grass was turning brown and
seemed to be lifeless. The flow
ers had disappeared and left
nothing in their place. The leaves
on the trees Withered where
they had flourished, and fell to
earth in melancholy rhythm
Within a little while the whole
earth seemed naked and color,
less. One might have thought
that death had seized among all
the vegetation, except a few
evergreens, which remained as
sign of hope.
Chill winds blew. Frost pene-
trated deep into the ground. Ice
held the rivers and lakes in its
grip. Cold and pityless snow
came intermittently to cover up
the nakedness of the earth as
though nature were ashamed to
leave the bosom of the earth SO
completely farlorn and for
bidding.
If man had believed amidst
all that apparent lifelessness
that there would be NO more
green foliage, no more flowers
no more balmy air of the spring
time, and no more inspiring sun
shine, dark despair would have
seized his mind and heart He
could not have endured the
awful thought of living in life
less world.
But when nature struck with
inexorable force IN the autumn
reason, she gave the promise that
spring would come again, and
with it all the beauty that man
needed to stimulate his waning
spirit. Nature has given that
| same promise throughout the
countless centuries since vegeta-
ton existed upon this earth, and
nature has never failed to
redeem that promise in the long
span of time since the beginning
| of life. The things that appeared
death such a little while ago are
| showing new signs of vitality
Before long the trees and shrubs
will he in full leaf FlOWerS will