Amos John Traver Traver
Christian Herald, Now York, New York

We have entirely too much fun with our prejudices. How tinny of us enjoy an argument or a criticism of others too much? Watch the typical critic jump to his feet in any meeting, his eyes snapping and his voice vibrant with self-righteousness. As he takes his seat again he looks proudly around the room seeking the approval of his henchmen! "Jack-the-Giant-Killer has made another conquest!"

Be careful, friend, of your criticisms. Surely it is right to criticize, when we honestly seek to help our neighbors, just as soon as you find yourself enjoying the self-appointed task, you are on dangerous ground. A sense of superiority will begin to grow in you until you can carry it unconsciously, even into the sanctuary, and pray: "God. I thank thee, that I am not as other men...or even as this publican."

Prejudice is the seed of cruelty. The Pharisees were not naturally unkind. They were no doubt good neighbors and good husbands and fathers. Yet prejudice made them so calloused that they preferred to have a man go through life with a withered hand, to the breaking of a tradition.

Remember that to be kind is not a matter of indifference for the Christian. Kindness is an essential Christian virtue. Without kindness there can be no likeness to Christ. Beware of prejudice!

Roy L. Smith
The Christian Advocate, Chicago, Illinois

There is probably not one wakeful moment during which we are not challenged to rise to higher and better things. We meet difficulties every hour which are capable of bestowing upon us large increments of strength and confidence. We are confronted every day with questions that stretch our minds and invite us out into broad vistas of thought where we can grow intellectually and spiritually.

Every irritating person with whom we have any dealings presents us with an opportunity to develop patience and self-restraint. Every weak person who walks beside us offers us a chance to extend a helping hand and thus enlarge our own powers. Every enemy provides us with an occasion for forgiving, and thus growing in Christian grace and loveliness.

The Christian who has a desire to develop spiritual efficiency will meet every difficulty and treat it as an opportunity. He will determine to find the strength which lies buried in his burden and extract it for his own use. He will set out each morning with a solemn purpose in his heart to learn some lesson before the day is over, to strengthen his spirit at some weak point before the night closes down, to wring from every difficulty every dividend it can be compelled to pay.

The Daily Graphic
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada

When difficulties arise it is natural to want to pin the blame on somebody. But even if the other fellow is selfish and unpatriotic., merely hurling accusations at him can only widen the breach.

The best answer to selfishness is unselfish people.... When we face the facts of any selfishness in our own lives and' produce evidence of change, we have a practical approach to any selfish neighbor. We can speak to him, not as an accuser,... not with the threat of force, but with the authority of experience. We can produce results instead of just producing argument and acrimony.

Report of an address given by The Rev. G. W. Harte
Beckenham Journal, England

The Rev. G.W. Harte [said that] ... an incorrigible habit had grown up of criticizing and judging other people—a kind of "gospel of the other chap." People always knew what other people should do. The trouble was that they were trying to shift the responsibility. It was the biggest job in life to keep one's own faith and honor bright: it did not matter about the other people. Those who said that Christians were no better than they ought to be, should look at themselves, for "What is that to thee?" said Jesus —what about yourself?

What did he mean by that? He was reaching back to the cause of all the trouble in the world, our own responsibility. They could look through history and name all those responsible for all the acts of cruelty in the world, but "What is that to thee?" says Jesus. Were they contributing to the moral uplift of the world? Jesus was attacking all the self-righteousness in the world.

Robert Quillen
Indianapolis Star, Indiana

Man's duty to forgive man has never been known outside of Christendom, so the measure of the obligation and the terms of it must be looked for in the teachings of Jesus. (Many people not familiar with these teachings are unwittingly influenced by them, for they are woven into the fabric of our civilization.)

The law and the penalty are clear and unmistakable: "If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." It is not qualified in any way. No matter what else a man may do or be, if he does not forgive he will not be forgiven.

Peter, slow to understand, asked how many times he should forgive—"till seven times?" And Jesus answered, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven," meaning without limit.... Does the law require too much of human nature? Each individual must find his own answer, but this same Jesus who taught forgiveness also gave the terms upon which it must be granted: "If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."

It is a hard and wicked heart that will not forgive when the offender says in honest contrition, "I am sorry; forgive me."

There is a universal law of balance. Would it require forgiveness without repentance to justify it?

Lethbridge Herald
Alberta, Canada

When it comes to reputations, there is none greater than to be known to be just. In considering what being just means, let us not forget, as Paul reminded the Romans, that not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.... What more meaningful word is there than the word "just"? It covers all the virtues. It stands for all that we are taught to venerate. In that small word is contained all that is meant when we speak of equity, integrity, rectitude, and right. So to be called just is a great distinction.

How often we fail to perceive what is unjust in regarding ourselves. In this we are prone to see in others what we fail to perceive in ourselves. There is a fine illustration in the parable of the ewe lamb. When David heard the parable as told him by Nathan he had his anger greatly kindled against the man who took the poor man's lamb to prepare a meal for the traveler. "As the Lord liveth," he said, "the man that hath done this thing shall surely die." He little reckoned that he was the man referred to by Nathan. He was greatly mortified at the accusing words of Nathan, "Thou art the man."

In the condemnation of the individual whom we regard as unjust, as in the case of David, it will be well before doing this to see that we ourselves are free from condemnation in being truly conscious that we are just as God sees us.

In this comes the true and only great satisfaction in being regarded as just. So shall we truly live up to the reputation of being just.