The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-05-13

IL VVsAVA0A NCouAu6. i01p1dlS
1870.
Welcome All
Lesson for May IS, 1860
1T TAKES all kinds Of people
to make a world" but some
times we wish it didn't. Even
good people get us down, some
times, and as for the people
who are not good - the robots
and the rats, the hypocrites and
the ho0dlums = it would be
wonderful if we knew we didn't
have to worry with a one of
them any more.
But here they are and here
we are, all in one world. If
you want to keep clear away
from no-account people, you
will just have to get out of
this world. At least Paul found
it so in his time q Corinthians
So. 1O, and it is still true.
Christians do live in society, :"
that is in the great gathera-
ton Of mankind. The whole hui
man race are our cousins, and
they seem to be on our door,
step-or we on theirS-most of
the time.
Christians Are Different
Christians have always been
outnumbered in this world. Even
including all the nominal Chris
tians we make up scarcely more
than half the population of the
U. S. A. "a nominal Christian
has been defined as one W h 0
goes to church, or more pre-
cisely is dragged there, three
times in his life; once to be
sprinkled with water. a second
time to be sprinkled with rice,
and the last time to be Sprinkled
with ashes.) Real Christians are
so scarce as to be noticeable.
And when you do see a real
Christian, there is one thing
sure: he is different. He just
doesn't see things the way most
people do. He doesn't ire t
people as most others do. He
has a rather special approach to
the problems of living. He is so
rare. the real Christian, that the
advertising men, aiming at
mass man." never appeal to
Christians. The motives appeal
ed to by most advertising -
judging by what this writer has
seen are not Christian mo-
tives. real Christian, in short
(ineaning one who has a close
resemblance to Jesus Christ. be-
cause he has the mind of Christ
and Christ lives in hinl), will
be marked off as peculiar.
Once there was a little boy in
Kentucky village who was diff
ferent from all other little boys
there, on two counts. He wore
glasses. and he played the fid-
die. you were not supposed to
indulge in either of these till
you were old and greyD So all
the other boys would make this
boy live hard. Hit him!" they
would yell as a dozen or more
piled on him at once. Hit him!
He plays the fiddle!"
This is not only a true story
but a parable of life in tn i S
world. People fear and h a e
what is different. Not all people
show this hate and fear, not all
feel it. But enough of the people
in Jerusalem hated and feared
Jesus, who was outstandingly
different from them, so bitterly
that they could scream Cruel
fly him!" Ever since t h n.
Christians have been unwelcome
in a non-Christian society. "Woe
unto you when ALL men speak
we'll Of YOU" Jesus said luke
6:26). If everybody speaks well
of you. it shows you have no real
chl'arter, you appeal to too
many opposite kinds of people
Suppose our. Lord had tried to
please every one,
Christians Are Welcome
All the same, and you can call
it a paradox if you ike-all the
same, Christians are welcome,
even among those who can't see
their point of view. Jesus called
his followers salt" and light. .
Salt and light operated by con-
tact. and so do Christians. Jesus
assumed that his people would
make direct contacts with the
human world around them, even
as he did. Now people are sell
dom actively grateful either for
salt or light. But they grippe
when they are left in the dark,
they complain when they have
10 cat food without salt. Per-
llaps Christians arc welcome
is saying it too strongly. Chris
this arc needed" would como