Evening star., 1961-12-24
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
HoNow the Home
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate
home lighted inside amid

the nights encirc"-~ Gloom
is one of earth's jeyyeled glo-
ries. 1t is a radiant symbol Of
all that is high and holy. Its
sheltering walls speak of a
"togethernesS" which make it
a castle Of protection. a haven
Of care, a school of virtue,
e nursery of learning, a fra
ternity Of loyalty, and a lab
oratory Of living. In a noble
home there is being fash
ioned a shining tapestry with
its strands Of the past, the
present, and the future.
The injunction Keep the
home fires burning" was
caroled across the Nation as
from its flaming hearths and
lighted windows the battal-
ions Of boys marched forth
in great crusades to defend
principles more precious
than life. So today, when as
never before sinister forces
are assailing and desecrating
the shrines where the most
vital things are nourished,
and without which a nation
dies, this is an hour to raise
again the cry Keep the
home fires burning"
Christmas is the festival of
the home. Its light is CEN
tered on a baby and on par
ents who so instilled their
spiritual heritage into that
baby's plastic life that, as a
boy, he could mingle on easy
terms with the leaders of the
temple and at 80 stand up in
the synagogue of the town in
which he was brought up to
expound the Scriptures.
And so Christmas lights a
candle at every window of
every home for those who
have eyes to see.
The diabolical forces of
atheistic communism know
full well as back of their
walls and curtains they PLOT
to utterly uproot religion that
the home as we have known
it must be demolished. Unless
that cell of decency and
dignity is blotted out they
cannot create a generation of
atheists. This very Christmas
in East Germany they are
seizing the cradles and
branding the babies for their
goddess system. A report on
the present situation declares
"at every point the state lays
its heavy hand on human life
and crushes it. 1t attacks the
sanctity and unity of the
family, encouraging rebellion
and treachery within the
home; it's spies and quislings
are everywhere" To be a
practicing Christian involves
being subjected to unemploy-
ment and economic hardship
and to take part in church
worship is to be marked out
for diSfavor. When we know
what our walled-in Christian
brothers and sisters are fac
ing this Christmastide let US
not only pray for them as
they are thrust into a fiery
furnace of persecution, but
let us also VOW to use the
freedom we have to guard
and cherish and defend thu
one thing that can insure any
future worth while - the
home!
The disturbing and alarm
ing facts Of today have to
do not simply with rampant
pagan foes on the outside.
The thing that skaters any
tendency to complacency and
strutting confidence in the
world still free is the lack of
moral fiber evident in so
large a proportion of those
now EN- erging from our
homes to make the nation of
tomorrow.
A Harvard expert on social
trends has declared "at the
present rate of demoraliZa-
ton. if left alone, the family
system as we have known it
will break up before the end
of the century" From a
multitude of homes young
men and women are being
sent out into the fearful