From Our Exchanges
[The Christian Register]
The larger vision of religious kinship sees the man on the other side of the fence, and sees him whole, not as a sectarian, a bigot, or a heretic, but as the human brother we all talk so much about, but toward whose sentiments and opinions we practise so little real charity. Think as he may on certain abstruse and difficult subjects, his theology occupies only one corner of his mind, while his needs, limitations, temptations, weaknesses, are much like our own. It is his geniality and fellow-feeling that we need, as he may need ours could we find some common ground of meeting where distrust dies out.
Though in different camps, we acknowledge the same master, owe allegiance and loyalty to the same captain. In his name we should unite and express our spiritual kinship. The best in us is friendly and human, kindly and charitable, loving and merciful,—apart from outworn creeds. But we do not let these qualities have way with us as we ought. We all long to be quickened, strengthened, and refreshed, for at times we all feel the same dead, inert insensibility to spiritual things. Perhaps there is some one just around the corner who could bless and help us were we to seek him out. We dwell on the supreme duty of service and devotion to our helpless fellow creatures, but all our activity and bustle will not satisfy the craving for soul refreshing that would come with the acknowledgment of a larger religious kinship coming from those who ought not to be separated from us in the wide vision of fellowship and sympathy.
[The Advance]
There came a time when the disciples of Jesus felt much as Moses did. The time had come when they must carry forward an impossible enterprise, and do it alone. Jesus was about to leave them; and they heard his word with sorrow akin to despair. Bewildered and groping, they sought a vision of God,—"Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." If any men since Moses had needed that vision they needed it. They were undertaking to lead a world in ways they did not know. More even than Moses they needed that vision.
Jesus told his disciples that he was the vision of God which they needed. They were looking too far away. The place beside God was close at hand. With them at the table sat the Master, in whose human face and form they were permitted to behold the character of God. It is still a place of mystery, but not of dread. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. That is the simple story, and it is sufficient. Close to Christ we find the place beside God, where we may behold the glory of God without terror, and find strength for the journey we have yet to travel ere the world finds its promised home.
[The Christian Intelligencer]
The quest of truth is the duty of the present, even as it was the duty of the past. If our forefathers had been content with what they had and had given themselves over to selfish gratification, the progress of the world would have been immeasurably retarded.
Life to be great must accept serious tasks. Life to be noble must be serious, sober, and sacrificial. Life to be mighty must concern itself with things eternal. In spite of all our charities and philanthropies, much of life today is utterly selfish, frivolous, superficial, sordid, and material. We need to rediscover the magnificent greatness of the Christian religion. We need to grapple in hand-to-hand encounter with the meaning of the universe. We need a world-wide fellowship of serious readers and thinkers and workers who appreciate the dignity and solemnity of life and who realize the obligations imposed by our blessings. It will not do to let ourselves go. God demands of us that we shall do our part in furthering His eternal purposes for mankind.
[Zion's Herald]
To the msot casual hearer—to one who remembers the fervid, ejaculatory preaching of a generation ago—there is a different note in the pulpit deliverances of today. Outside of our own communion the same change is observed; sermons are less hortative and more instructive. The appeal is through the understanding, and not so much through the emotions. The conscience, that flinty fortress at the center of personality, is the object of attack, and pressure is laid upon it in order that the will may be coerced into right action. This method insures the more desirable element of permanency in moral behavior, and a greater steadiness in the attitude of life toward God.
This change of appeal from the emotions to the understanding has been caused by the enlarged mental view in both pulpit and pew. This enlarged intellectual view has been induced primarily by the advanced curricula of our schools and colleges, while opportunity for public expression has been given by the better education of the growing youth of our land. Thus the pulpit is often led into discussion of some particular phase of religious belief or moral truth, to the great intellectual profit and pleasure of the whole congregation.
But this ampler view of the whole field of mental research has unconsciously altered the tone of the preaching. The prophet, with his subliminal consciousness stirred to the very depths by the inward conviction that he is the mouthpiece of the Almighty, has been changed to the teacher with cap and gown, who perhaps is able to give the views of all who ever came before him on any one particular subject, but who lacks the tone of authority which was the one distinguishing mark between the great Teacher and the scribes of his day.
[Rev. James I. Vance, D.D., in The Christian Intelligencer]
How is Christian internationalism to be established and promoted? There is but one way. It is through the gospel of Christ. Internationalism is preeminently a Christian conception. I speak of Christian internationalism, but there is no other kind. Christ is the great international figure of the world. He is the Son of man. Every nation finds itself in him, and the goal of his gospel is nothing short of human brotherhood.
[American Lutheran Survey]
The advent season should be a time of spiritual preparation for the Christmas message. It should be a season of blessed exaltation. The Lord is come. He is in the world. He reigns in millions of hearts, more securely, more completely than ever an earthly king reigned over his people. His kingdom is not of the world. All worldly kingdoms are destined to curmble and fall away, but His kingdom shall have no end.
[The Congregationalist and Christian World]
We are on the eve of discovering and unrealized depth of meaning in the religion of Jesus Christ and its absolute sufficiency to change even such a world as that in which we live. And the discovery once made will mean on our part new capacities and new calls for endurance, sacrifice, and achievement.
