Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 188, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1911 — Manifestation of God [ARTICLE]

Manifestation of God

SV. Dr* Anr ashing Um (juoiKfi Factor of First Cbstch, Cohunbas. Ohio.

By Rev. Dr. Washington

TEXT.—Howbeit, we know this man, whence he 1», but when Christ cometti, no man knows whence He is.—John l-.tl. The fact that Jesus remained in Galilee, while his disciples went to Jerusalem to attend the feast of the tabernacles aroused much discussion among the people. Suddenly in the midst of the talk, Jesus appeared, and began to address the gathering with the utmost frankness. : At this those present were greatly surprised and many were half inclined to believe In him. However, they said that there > is nothing wonderful, occult or mysterious about this man. We know him, he is the son of Joseph, the carpenter, and Mary. Therefore, he cannot be the Christ, for when he comes no one will know of him. The suggestion that this man about whom there was no suggestion of the preternatural or mysterious was the Christ offended the good people who were looking for their Savior’s coming. There was no thought of the nobility of character, the power of action, or the holiness of the life that wouldflt the man to lead God’s chosen people, but that he was too commonplace to be God’s messenger. - - t This error is common, even today in the age of advanced'learning and reasoning. A great truth stated in plain, comprehensible, unvarnished words, will ofttimes fail to impress the hearer, when a lot of high-flown phrases, possibly meaningless, will give a conviction of depth of thought and power of expression. In fact, one of the most popular books of the day has won its laurels in this manner. Throughout the ages the world has been humbugged by those who played On this preconception of wisdom. The real truth when it comes to us Is almost always just the reverse of this thought It is simple, easily understood, with no. suggestion of the mysterious, occult or profound. Thus we find that the people- are wrong in the main part, for the best messages and ideas are often conferred in the simplest of terms and come from the common man or woman. It is Indeed well to be hospitable in the entertaining of strangers, for they may turn out to be angels of God. Abraham in entertaining the three travelers found that they brought to him God’s mission on earth for him. Lot, at the gate of Sodom, welcomed the footsore wanderers, who warned him of the destruction of the city. Not every angelic visitation has been made in this simple manner, but it is enough for u* that many of the important ones have. To date all the progress made along lines of religious development have tended to simplify and to make more plain the ways of God. Browning in his prologue to “Oscelo” has stated very beautifully that man has stripped the covering of mystery from the trees, the mountains and the lakes, but that in doing so, it has brought him into closer touch with the Lord. God is indeed revealed in bare nature. His truth is shown in the phenomena despoiled of their mystery and illusion. To those who go beyond the mere phenomena, and get into their meaning, God is far more wonderful than to those who regard him simply as the ruler of all things. If we could see and hear completely, we would ba certain that all around us are revelations of God. The every-day friendships of the office, the shop, the home, are many voices crying the will and love of the Lord. To return to the story, w* find that the people at the feast still believed that there was a Christ to"come, and this faith Is commendable. Had they believed that this man was the Messiah, that the divine had transfigured the human and that the human had not dragged down the divine, they would have grasped the great truth in the matter. The secular Is theshrine of the sacred and not its grave. God’s love reaches out and throughhuman love does great things, at thesame time completely changing thelatter. To some unfortunate peoplethe destroying of the mysterious by science has also taken away God.. That is a grievous loss. All the deeper, diviner Influences that reach the, human life are a* active how as they ever were. We still need inspiration from above, encouragement and love which can be found only through God. All that tends to dignify and to make beautiful the common and natural’ things is God, and to fall to sense the- , great love of God is to fail to securea working foundation for life and foreternity. Losing God** love, we lose that which our best natures demand and need. The thought that angel* may ap-. pear in the garb of the common, everyday traveler or worker 1* the beginning of wisdom, but not its end. Inorder to complete th* thought we, must hear the message brought and then go out and apply it to our live*, do th* task demanded and grow bigger. Then, even as angels as one of us, so we as common peopl* of th* earth can do the work of am gels. What are angels save messengers and workers for God ? In this we And the real meaning of Christian discipleship.