Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 December 1969 — Page 9

Editorials Christmas belongs Only to Christ For the post severol Christmases, groups of people have promoted the idea of putting Christ "bock. into Christmas." Someone had apparently taken out from the festivities one Christmas a few years ago to notice that the name of the holiday is simply "Christ" plus mas, possibly (they thought) some meaningless suffix. Since then there has been the steady effort on the part of Christians—and non-Christians, too—to give some notice to the similarity between the name of the day and the name of the founder of Christianity. Since it was obvious to the most casual observers of the general trend of Christmas celebration that there was absolutely no room at all for Christ in Christmas, it would be excusable for them to think it nice to put Him back in. We disagree. Christ does not belong IN Christmas. Christmas belongs TO Christ. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas. And efforts of secularists to prove that Christmas may have its root in some pagan holiday cannot alter that basic fact. It is, of course, true that Christmas, in common with many Christians holydays, bears some marks of pagan celebration. This is because early Church fathers, fighting desperately a paganism which threatened to keep Christianity from getting a foothold, made wise concessions to the simple minds of converts in order to keep them fairly happy in the new-fangled religion being promoted then. No harm was done, and in fact the action of the early Christian leaders in adapting secular traditions into Christian traditions has allowed Christians for centuries to have perfectly harmless fun while at the same time learning great Christian lessons. Whatever elements of paganism which remain in the celebration of any Christian holiday cannot in any way affect the essential Christian nature of the observance—unless, of course, Christians themselves allow the paganism to interfere. Paganism has already interferred to such a degree in religious holidays that to many people Christmas ranks far above Easter as the major holiday. Christian have allowed pure secularism to make them forget about the relationship between the hoi* iday and the reason for the holiday. The Person Whose birthday is being celebrated is very much in absentia most of the time. As a matter of fact, if He were to appear at the bulk of the parties given honoring His birthday. He would be told in no uncertain terms that He was not invited and was not welcome. And, sadly. He would probably turn away wordless. Yet, Christians consider themselves doing a big deed when they spend much money to promote the idea that some of those celebrating Christmas should allow Christ to come to their parties! Churches have pretty much the same attitude. While they make a token invitation to Jesus Christ fairly regularly during the year, they really do not expect Him to come, and even on Christmas they have special services honoring the God-Man they hope will not be so presumptuous as to attend. The beautiful services are not for the glory of God, but rather for the salving of of the consciences of the so-called church people. As incense ascends to the sky in the great vaulted cathedral during the Elevation too few people will feel in it anything other than sensual appeal. As the uneven little group of singers in the humblest store-front squeaks out "Silent Night," too many minds will be on whether Mary will like the cheap doll bought for her Christmas present, or whether the shoes will fit Johnny. And how simple it is to give Christmas back to Christ! What an easy thing it really is to cast out secularism with its wordly anxieties and become proper receptacles for the spirit of Christmas. With the naturalness of love as the most profound emotion man has ever known, what an easy thing it is for us to love one another. How simple it is to remind our selves that we ask God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us! How foolish we are to let pride stand between us and the love of our fellowman. How sinful we are to allow ignorance to separate us from others of the great race of mankind. How wicked we are to set ourselves up in judgment of our neighbors, casting Christ completely out of our hearts and letting only evil, hatred and suspicion in. Christmas is a birthday—the greatest birthday the world has ever known and ever will know. Yet, oddly, it is the One Whose birthday is being celebrated Who gives the gift. Too many of the guests don't even bring greeting cards. Yet our Guest of Honor has made it clear what He expects of us. We sanctimoniously claim we are celebrating Christmas, but allow our neighbors to go hungry, their children to go naked and cheerless on the day secularists consider the greatest of all days. Here in Indianapolis, in the Negro community, we know of countless hundreds of people who will be sad and dreary because a selfish, self-centered, self-satisfied community does not care for them. The people who are allowing countless members of their race to spend a bleak, dreary holiday are probably the ones sitting on the front rows of the churches or singing the loudest in the choirs—if they're not preaching the sermons! What a wonderful birthday gift it would be to Christ for us to love His Children enough to give to them! What a Christmas it would be for each of us to share—really share, not just toss a coin—our riches with the poor. Wouldn't it be a most unusual Christmas, and a most happy and merry one, for all God's creatures to get together with those they can and share God's love for them in spreading their own love for one another? And the prayer of the angels for peace—what has happened to it? Gone, gone far away, while the world mirthlessly laughs at the idea of peace. Right here on our own editorial pages we have a story of one of the great victories of the Revolutionary War—a battle fought on Christmas Day! We glory in it, because it was a victory which must have been! The war that was actually going on that Christmas Day and the wars which have been going on so many Christmas Days since the Ascension of Our Lord continue, smoldering beneath an outward appearance of peace which fools no one, certainly not the Guest of Honor at the birthday party. Is it too much to dream of a Christmas when the race of man can worship together in a spirit of brotherhood? Is it possible that men will join hands as one to give a real birthday party something for the Savior of the World? Can they lay aside their petty jealousies and concern with little things long enough to give

TOO MANY THINGS ARENT STRAIGHT, THEY AREN'T MOVING ON THE BLACK PANTHERS ALONE, THEY'RE MOVING AGAINST THE WHOLE BLACK NATION! 'THERE WERE NO BLACK COPS, THERE WAS NO WARNINGr L. A. WITNESS

"UNSHACKLING THE POLICE". . .?

To Be Equal

No room in the

\ by WHITNEY M. YOUNG. JK.

inn

Nineteen hundred and six-ty-nine years ago a family came looking for shelter in the town of Bethelham. They went from one inn to another, but everywhere they met with rejection from the hard-hearted innkeepers. And so they finally found in amanger, when the Christ child was born.

Reader wonders what happened to leadership To The Editor: Could you tell me what happened to the local neighborhood black leaders that leaders that we used to have to voice our disatisfactions and woes to Lugar , Whitcomb Raab, Pearcy, faction that rule our inner-city? I‘ll answer my own question and say they been stilled. Either by way of monies, power of position, which incidentally captures most of our potential leaders, or any schemes devisable by the white power structure were in “Indy”. To illustrate, there is one black voice that rings sublimely clear throughout the city and that voice belongs to Henry J. Richardson. Those who are familiar with the flavor of his black philosophy know that the subjects he extends are close to his heart and have been form many years. Another was the black Indianapolis attorney who ran for president some years ago, Atty. Frank R. Beckwith. And in the same vein for awhile we heard the angry voice of our favorite guy, Rufus Kuykendall, who truly in man instances was a victim of the black citizenry, neglect of the present administration. Those leaders that we have left or either lost in a bottle of Scotch and domestic responsibilities or have become to senile to “give a damn/' We have Charles (Snookie) Hendricks and Ben Bell who have their hands full because its more than you might think to represent a city of this size's gripes and groans. These two young men are doing “their thing,” but rumor has it that we might be losing Shookie soon for parts yetunamed. I would like to see Andrew Ramsey have a stronger vocie

We celebrate that event, We rejoice in the coming of the spirit of peace and the message of goodwill to all mankind. But the innkeepers of todaythe menof hard he arts and cold blood—are still with us. They too, celebrate. They gather around Christmas trees, exchange presents and greetings and worship at churches con-

in our plight, also Andrew Foster could be a help to the blacks of the inner-city. When Rev. Jesse Jackson of Operation Breadbasket sings, “I’m dreaming of a black Christmas, ” pray it be heard in some of our retired and defeated black politians favorite avenue drinkeries. Say a toast to “not giving a damn” and the whites smile wisely. Eugene (Trigger) Turner Xmas poem is submitted by a writer (EDITOR'S NOTE: The following poem was written by Willis Stigger, 2926 N. Capi itol). *** Christmas has come at last And I am glad tis here Don’t you think for this one day I’ve waited just one year.

I’m sure it should come before As sure as I’m alive Fifty-two Sundays make a year I’ve counted 75. There’s one thing make s me very gald as glad as I can be The years grow short as we grow old and that will just suit me. I wish' twas X mas every month And presents nice and new Do Xmas trees cost anything Then one a year will do. And now I’ll take my Friends And wait to hear my call For I’ve a present on the tree And I hope it is a doll. CORRECTION Aletter to the editor in last week’s Recorder failed to indicate that Crispus Attucks was the “first” man to die in the Boston Massacre. The letter was written by Mrs. Susie Dickens Goodwin.

RENT an apartment or ouy a home. Read the Want Ad Page in The Recorder this week.

secrated to the Christ brought. But like their predessors of ancient times, the ir minds are shut to the universal prin- o ciples they profess to believe in. Who are the innkeepers to today? Who are the shallow men of little faith who relegate justice and decency to the manger today? Some of them are men of God, clergymen who pretend to live by the word of Christ; who represent Him in too many pulpits. They reject the social gospel at the heart of the Christian beliefs. They close thie doors to their black brother, and help reinforce the prejudices of their lily-white congregations. Some are business leaders, respected by the community. Men of power; men of affluence. But they keep black workers in the lowest jobs, refuse to hire and train the poor, and fight any attempts by other groups, including their inlightened fellow-business men, to bring about change. Some are labor leaders, who resent attempts by black workers to join their unions and qualify for high-paying jobs. They hide behind all sorts of devices to avoid living up to the equaltitarian principles of themajority of the labor movement. Other s are government officials, who avoid the Constitutional mandate for equality. They too. , squirm out of taking affirmative action to create an open soceity. They too, see blacks and other minorities as a perpetual underclass to be exploited and op - pressed, whose legitimate demands for justice must be avoided. Some are “civil leaders,” who are either civil nor leaders, but rather reflectors of popular prejudices. Their “ good causes” never include extending equality to all men. There are many others; Educator who fear the black community and don’t teach black children the skills they need in this challenging one; college ad minstrators who don't want their ivory towers sullied by students from a different environment. These—and any others— are today’s innkeepers. These are the men of rockhard souls who can only cling to their own tenuous self-esteem by keeping others down. The man doesn't w-ant a black family to move into his neighborhood and then goes to church to worship—perhaps to pray that his neighborhood stays lily-white is more than just a hypocrite. He is morally sick, the victim of the disease of the soul that could bring this great nation to its knees. He needs to be cured, else kickness will spread to his children and his friends. He needs to be cured, or his illness will continue to infect our national life. The innkeepers who shut their doors on theHoly Family are scorned and vilified. So too, shall their sucessors be scorned—and pitied, for they know not what they do. In this season of peace, let us strive to broaden narrow minds and open closed doors. NEED A... DOCTOR-LAWYER-DENTIST? See the PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY in ..THE RECORDER.

Christmas back to Christ? Shall we eternally parade before our Heavenly Father the sorry spectacle of a mockery in appreciation of His great Gift of His Son? Shall we continue giving back hatred for love, stinginess for the great Gift, war for peace? We can end this rumination on a happy note. That's one of the greatest gifts given in that one great Gift—The possession of hope. Jesus Christ has given us hope, so that even in the midst of the despairful "celebrations" of Christmas we now disgrace Him with, we can still hope that some day so-called Christians will develop a Christianity which allow them truly to celebrate Christmas, with paganism in its place in the background and the pure light of Christian love and fellowship well in the foreground.

Our Readers Write — — » LLj

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER P A r p q SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1969 rMV3C 3 Voice From The Gall cm AN0Rfw w RAMSB ' A&rhe decade exists and we mUlstill have not overcome

The pundits, the political sooth sayers and the better known news comentators are won’t near the end of December to recount for us less informed the great of the year that is closing and at the end of each decade they have the habit os umming up the happenings of the decade in a nutshell ( and often from a nutshell). So the author of this weekly comment on things, wise and otherwise, cannot pass up the great opportunity to put in his two-cents worth. A s he does so he is fascinated by the memory and the vision of a symbol. “The song is “We Shall Overcome,” which in the first third of the decade seemed to be the marching song of avictorious black minority which had in sight the end of a hundred good years of second - class citizenship and which at the end oft the end of the decade has almost been drowed out by the sounds coming from other seources. The sounds of Black and Proud,” Burn, Baby Burn,” “Law and Order” and “white Backlasa.” The symbol was that of a fallout shelter which very well symbolized the attitude of the majority of Americans during the whole decade. It was an attitude of trying to hide from the problems confronting us. The decade began with the greatest mobilization of Negroes in our history- marching, singing, and praying for deliverance from tje semibondage in which they hav e been fixed since theEmanicipation Proclaimation. Nonviolence was the theme and ttl culminated in the passage of the great civil rights bill of 1964 and the mammoth “1963 March on Washington.” It did not seem that the millineum was at hand as thousands of

of these evidences of black unrest.

The commission got to vork and published its findsing hat the so-called riots stemted from white racism and l growing polarization of the aces in the United States. Very little heef was paid n the report in omcal or

whites journeyed to W ashington to show that they too went along with granting the Negro’s God-given rights. But within two years the whites had deserted like rats getting off a sinkijng ship because of their fear who do cuse of their fear of two undefined words which were employed by blacks who did not trust them. These two words were “Black Power” and their diabolic prophets were Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown.

I t was them that we withnessed the blossing of what was called the “white blacklash” reacted politically, scaring their congressmen and rallying around their own prophet—former Gov. George Wallace of Alabama. In the meantime, radical upheavals shook more than 200 American cities in a three-year period—amidst the cries of “Burn , Baby, Burn,” and the President had to appoint a commission to look into the root causes ional election controled bv the force, of reaction, whose shibbloeth was “law and order” with no mention of justice. The “War on Proverty” which began hopefully in the middle of the decade had almost become, at the end of the period , had almost become, at the end of the permiddle of the decade had almost become, at the end of the period, had almost become

“War on the Poor.” Politically, Negroes, who had fared rather well on the national scene in the early years of the decade, suffered set-backs under the new administration.

Where there had been a Negro of the previous administration , in the new there were had been a Jew in the Supreme Court for more than a generation, this time there was none and the asministration’s nomination for the seat formerly occupied by Jews was an unreconstructed Southerner who was anti-civil rights. Fortunately, he had denied the seat.

Not all was bleak during the ’60s. Negroes were elected to the lower house of Congress from California, Missouri, Michigan (two), New York (two), Pennsylvania, Illinios and Ohio and a Negro U.S. senator was elected from Massachusetts. Besides, more Negroes were elected to office over county than ever before in history, with Negro mayors being elected in Gary and Cleverland—one being appointed in Washington and the usual and enexpected election of a balck mayor in Fayetteville, Miss.

At the sam e time, we sent white men into space and black

So the decade of the sixties ends as it began—with Negroes as second class citizens , living in the ghettoes of either the slum or golden variety— the lengths and breadth of the land of the free (whites and the brave (mobs).

Sunday School Lesson rev. i. t. highbaugh. sr. Herald of the God man

BIBLE BASIS: LESSON SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3:112. BACKGROUND SCROPTURE: Malachi 3:1-4; Matt. 3:1-13; 11:7-10. BIBLE TRUTH: God’s unfolding relation of Himself and his will for men neared its climax i n John Baptist’s signficant role as the fore runner of Jesus. BIBLE VERSE: Matts'. LESSON AIM: To inspire adult Christians to find and fill their role in helping others to meet Christ). Last Sunday’s lesson was £ fair and impartical introduction to our lesson todav. There really can be a ban of living in the mamse if you are too serious as well as if you are low down. So with the prophetic call tugging at his heart why should not John flee to the wildness to be alone with God as the Essensese may have done. Thus does Dr. Jean Stelman intrepetthis last of the prophet's life in “St. John The Baptist and the Dessert Tradition.” Then suppose we think of him as follows: I. The Voice in the Prophesy ( I King 1711. King 2. Isaiah 40: 3-8; Mai. 3:1-6.) 11. The Herald’s Apperance (Matt. 3:1-6; Luke 3:1-22. John 1:6-8). TheHarald’s Message (Matt. 3:7-12. John 1:15-38. THE VOICE IN PROPHESY, look at this wildness preacher who bursts forths on his age as Elijah did on Ahab court quaintly attired but turning the world unside down with his Sgibbaloths. Or hear him again in the fifth century as he tells his captive hearers through the Isaiah of the Captivity crying in his wildness. “Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make stright in the dessert a highway form God.” And lastly, look at end listen to the last great voice of prophesy in Malachi 3 where Jehoveh’s Himself says: I send my messenger or shell prepare Jehovah’s way before Him.” His messenger is the message of the convenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and the whole house of Israel. And here we are at the end of the prophets and beginning of preachers of tl^e new covenant. THE HERALD'S APPER— ANCE. Notice I dare to begin with the term, “The Herald.” Kings were so heralded in ancient times. Special high we re thrown up the King to march on and the Herald went ahead to meet the wild beast in frontal attek. He came preaching and what a challenge. This was no milk and water ertertainer. His preaching had achallenge to it.

It did what Dr. W.L. S tidgers’ preaching called f o r in “preaching our of the overflow,” a book on Homletics. It offered a challenge, called for a decision, demanded likealawyser a verdict in the name of the Lord. Yes they went to hear him as they do Billy Graham, as they did Charles E. Fuller, as they did Dr. P.S. Wilkerson and even weak voice has had some hearing. “For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” Yes John preached an individual Gospel and a social Gospel, The Gospel of Christ will save us all individually first and socially next. Go preach gospel saith the Bid the whole earth my grace receive He shall be saved who trust who my word and he condemned who won’t believe. THE HERALD’S MESSAGE. The essence of John’s message is thet 0 judgment must begin at the House of God and That the Leaders, preachers, deacons, teachers, choir - members, must so reconstruct their lives to prove that their lives are God centered. No, no not that the people are watching but that God is watching and will not let a bad man deceive the world too long. Some years ago I was preaching a semon entitled “You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down”. I empasized that God would

not allow it. I was in the Sainted Charles H, Bell’s Mt. Paran Baptist Church, He said Brother Highbaugh a parallel to that which should challenge all us here. “You can’t keep a bad man up.” God just won’t allow it. John’s baptism was to repentance . I t was a statement that I am sorry I have sinned against God ans sorry enough to vow to do it no more. This is the Jewish idea of repentance. Greek melanowia to completely change one’s minds. John fore told that Jesus would baptize with fire. Great effectual application of God's Word must be applied by Christ within us (Mai. 3:2, Luke 12:49). He here promises the Holy Spirit to be sent by Jesus who will abide continually (Acts 2; John 14:16-18, 16:713). iSis very baptism was a testimony of His anointment as the Son of God and so is ours. We walk in a new life, a new family, and a new world. He pointed to Jesus as the official Pasal Lamb (John 1:29, 36). So now we can sing: I'am a child of the King A child of the King In Jesus My Saviour I’m a child of the King.

Tan Ofbpics/^

-AND BESIDES, WE BOTH THINK EXACT LV ALIKE. — WE HATE EACH OTHER / "