Article January 3, 1925 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from N. A. Belcourt, Arnold

[From the Standard, Barbados, British West Indies, Dec. 29, 1923]

It has been said that in the present day calendars have assumed an important place in human affairs. Without definitely fixed dates commercial and social life would become utterly chaotic. Calendars, however, are only a system of reckoning. They tell us when the year begins and when it ends, but their usefulness does not extend to the true life of man, which is not to be fettered by dates or to be measured by years. As it is, science cannot trace Life to matter. Attempts to trace it to the atom or the electron have failed. As has been well said, Life is nowhere but in the divine Mind; and there it must be sought. Our life has no Old Year and New Year, which are merely useful conventions for reckoning time. Sentiment, however, has gathered around certain dates, and it is a joy to wish one's fellows a Happy New Year. This kindly expression suggests change for the better, freshness, a sense of springtime, newness of life, inspiration, and freedom from the past. With the New Year, people desire to turn over a fresh leaf, to lead a better life, to be more useful to their fellows. These resolves are not always carried out, for as the year grows older the sense of freshness wanes, temptations are yielded to, and the flesh triumphs over the Spirit. Could we all realize that time and its divisions are only mental concepts, perhaps we should be happier and more contented knowing that the real Life is not amenable to dates.

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