Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 172, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1911 — God of FASHION [ARTICLE]

God of FASHION

By Rev.George R. Lockwood

P—tor

It is a strange thing that humanity can’t seem to get along without Idols. There has never been a period in the world’* history that humanity has not worshiped some sort of idols. You: can’t read the Old Testament without having your heart pained; when you! see how Israel was continually turning away from God, and placing something in their hearts that ought to: have been occupied by God himself. Well, now exactly the same thing hast been true in every age and amongst! every people. There is a strong tendency in the mind and heart of htH manlty to reach out and lay hold upon! something and put it in the placet belongs only to God. The first strange god that let amongst* us is the “Fashion.” This* whole subject of dress is a very interesting one. I always claim that it takes more brains to build a dress* than it takes to build a house—and lb takes brains to build a house. What I mean by that Is, it takes brains tobuild a dress that, in a certain sense,, befits the individual that is being! clothed. It doesn’t take any brains to< reach your arm across to Paris and lug over here some fashion across the water —anybody can do that. But there are comparatively few people} who seem to have the happy faculty of! building a dress that just meets thefri own individuality. Such a dress ast just fits you in every sense of th« word —a dress that is the expression of your own mind and your own soul; —that is an exceedingly hard thing. What is the result of this thraldom, that is in our midst this present dayn There is a dementallzatlon and a demoralization that is going cm in our American life; it is enough to palm anybody deeply. I can't quite understand why America should reach across the* ocean and bring Imr-fash-ion from Paris. If there is one city on the face ofi God's earth that is any lower down in, perdition than another, it is Paris. And why should we be enslaved to> Paris for our fashion? In every other respect we claim to stand on our own feet; why can't America stand on her own feet when It comes tothe subject of dress? It seems to me there are brains enough in this country to create a fashion for ourselves and to break loose from the slavery of a foreign country. But that is not the sad part of it alt 1 I wonder if you realize the terrible extravagance that is associated with this one phase of our American life?) I wonder if you can bring before your minds 'the untold number of homes! that are simply wrecked; or, picturei the hearts that are broken because efl this terrible slavery, namely—thej slavery of America to this god ofi “fashion?” Let me illustrate. Here Is a girl—i she is brought up te a comparatively! poor home; she has not had any ex-t perience in holding money in her own] hands; she marries a comparatively! poor young man, and they go and start) a home for themselves. When he| comes back from his first week, he puts his wages in her hands. She has] had no experience in the use of mon-| ey; and what does she do? Almost thei first thing she does Is to rush out Intel a great city, lose herself in one ofj these big stores and, instead of bring-! Ing home something that Is going to| make the whole atmosphere of tha|i house rich and beautiful she brings! home something that is absolutely] worthless to herself. She spent her money foolishly, and) because the money is simply thrown] away the home Is wrecked and hearty are broken. The second strange god to which D desire to call your attention is the] “idol of education.” What is the ideal! education? Some people say It is] knowledge; some say It is success; others say character and personality. 1 In the eyes of a great many people education is that which fits one to make success in terms of money ; but that is not my own ideal of education. It is that which fits us to servo our God and to serve our humanity, and, anything that unfits us for the service* of God and humanity—call it by any; name you will, but don't call it edu-i cation. \ One of the perils of the east today] is that education is being translated In terms of dollars and cents, instead) of In terms of character and personality. What is one of the secrets of! the great succeess of the west? It to education, and dklucation of the right sort, too. The third strange god that I want to speak about la the god of “amusement.” Amusement Is a good thing; It Is a safety valve. I don’t know what we would do with our nervous/ temperament, here In America, if it were not for amusements. I love to. see people enjoy themselves, especial-; ly after a strenuous week of hard] work. But amusements ought never] to be an end; it ought always to be a) means to an end, and that end must fit] Into the purpose of God and the weW fare of mankind. \ The real test as to whether SAI - amusement Is right or wrong is thistl If It creates in our hearts a dlstastef for the things of the spirit is is wrong} if it unfits us for Christian service It is wrong. And if it doesn’t do any of 1 these things, but prepares us foe th* real and deeper enjoyment of Irat,' then It isrlght, and the more antesement the better it will be fortta- !