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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1974-12-23, Page 4PAGE 4 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1974 J711eedfj, Christmas couldn't be - but it was If the little town of Bethlehem had had a newspaper in 1974 years ago, the news story of the birth of Christ might have read like this: "Bethlehem was besieged last night with hundreds of out-of- town persons who had arrived here to pay their taxes as ordered by Ceasar Augustus. "All available accommodation was filled to capacity and some visitors were sleeping in the streets. "It is reported that a baby boy was born in the stable behind the Inn. The another is believed to be the woman Mary who is rumored to have been rejected in her home town because she claimed to be a virgin even though she was evidently expecting a child. "The husband, Joseph, is said to have had special instructions from an angel prior to his marriage. He maintains that he was infomred that Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost and that the baby is to be the Saviour of the world. "Officials deny that the baby born last night to Mary and Joseph is the promised Messiah. They say it is highly improb- able that God would select such obviously crude means to introduce His Son to the world. It is even more unlikely that He would entrust the Promised One to parents of such menial state and such questionable character." The skeptics of old are still among us. But no baby before or since the birth of Christ has caused such a stir for so great a time. No one man has influenced so many people as Christ the man. No one book has remained so popular or is quoted so frequently as the Bible in which the wonderful Christmas story is recorded. Faith is a miraculous thing. It is said that faith alone can move mountains and any other obstacles in the path of life. It was faith that prompted the shepherds to leave their flocks when nothing else could have. It was faith that made the early Christians willing to die rath- er than risk the loss of their firm belief. It is faith that keeps Christmas now and forevermore. And it will be faith that will bring millions of people to their knees to adore the Baby Jesus in the crude little manger in that Bethlehem stable again this Christmas. May the joy and peace of Christmas grow to faith in our hearts in the New Year and forevermore, - No peace and good will ! Ours is not a world of peace and goodwill among men. In Africa, rival races of blacks and whites struggle... in the open and in secret, with and without violence... for dominance. In the Middle East, great powers escalate each other's arma- ment bids. Fighting has become so commonplace in some places that newspapers hardly report it any more: Viet Nam, Northern Ireland, Cyprus... and the repression of an entire continent is ignored --in South America an unofficial alliance of military regimes tightens the screws on a hundred million poor. And in Bangladesh and India the Sahel and who knows how many centres of suffering, millions more die the slow agony of starvation. There seems to be something incongruous about celebrating Christmas in such a world, For Christmas speaks of kindness and love, peace and goodwill. Yet we should remember that the first Christmas was not a peaceful one. The baby Jesus was"born into a world of tyranny, of hate, of vicious dictators, and treacherous politicians. In an effort to destroy that child, a pitiless Herod slaughtered all the children of Bethlehem. Nor was the life of Jesus particularly peaceful. He was always under suspicion, always under attack. His life was a conflict with forces of evil, forces which event- ually brought him to the Cross. So in celebrating Christmas, we should see in the one called Christ a challenge, not only to the Herods and Pilates of 2, 000 years ago, but to those of every day, of every nation. That was the hope, of Christmas then. It is still the hope, of Christmas today. But we need to work harder to realize that hope. (Goderich Signal Star) ZURICH Citizens NEWS PRINTED BY SOUTH HURON PUBLISHERS LIMITED, ZURICH HERB TURKHEIM, Publisher Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385 .$4ts o CCNA Member:wCanadian Weekly. Newspapers Association;IUM Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association 'Ira fillip Subscription Rates: $5.00 per year in advance in Canada; $6.00 in United States arid Foreign; single copies 150 50 Years Ago Don't forget the program to be rendered on Christmas night in the Evangelical Church by the Sabbath School. After a short program by the little folk, a pageant will be played, this the first of its kind ever given in Zurich and is recom- mended as something real good, the title being "The Star That Shone." Doors open at 7:30 with admission at 350 and 200. The very icy conditions of the roads is making travelling rather dangerous. This part of Ontario will be the centre of a total eclipse of the sun on January 25 next. 35 Years Ago Post masters find themselves very busy this week distributing the heavy volume of Christmas mail. Parcels and the greeting cards by the millions are in the mails and the staffs find it hard to keep up with the mult- itude of extra mails these days. We are enjoying the mild October -like weather, rain today, Tuesday very little frost, and a nice bright sunny day onMonday. Old-timers advise us they do not rememb- er of ever seeing such milk weather this time of year. Thursday will be the shortest day of the winter and no winter in sight. The community Christmas tree was largely attended on Saturday. 25 Years Ago Alvin Walper led a sing -song prior to the annual pre -Christ- mas visit of Santa Clause to Zurich. Give seasons skating tickets for Christmas (Adv.) With the mercury at the 50 mark, it seems more like Easter than Christmas. The village was well popul- ated with people on Saturday as they were out to do their Christmas shopping. After almost 30 years, Dr. O'Dwyer is to leave Zurich, with his practice to go to Dr. Ted Keast. 10 Years Ago The members of the present Hay Township School Area Middle ges BY KEN MACQUEEN CONESTOGA JOURNALISM STUDENT Christmas in the, Middle Ages must have made our modern day celebrations look pale in comparison. Critics of Christmas claim that the true meaning of Christmas is forgotten in the commercialism. We no longer rejoice at the birth of Christ but use it as an excuse for one big party, they claim. During the Middle Ages, many customs unrelated to the church crept into the celebrations. Celebrations became so rowdy that in 1643 England outlawed the observance of Christmas. The Puritans in England sent the law to the New England colonies as well. - OE- YEARS GONE - BY- board inet Friday evening and named Robert Westlake to the position of secretary -treasurer for the board at a salary of $750 per year. John Tudor, who is attending University of B.C, in Vancouv- er, is spending the Christmas holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Tudor, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Gascho left on Saturday to spend two weeks at the home of their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ross McNab, at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Ferd Haberer would like to hear from those persons who are interested to become mem- bers of the Zurich and area card club. Mr. and Mrs. George Henry Clausius were married 50 years ago on December 23, 1914, in St. Peter's Lutheran church, Zurich. They will celebrate quietly with their families at home. Mr. and Mrs. Don O'Brien have purchased the home of Mr, and Mrs. Reg Black, and are moving this week. Mr. and Mrs. Karl Decker have returned hone from a two week trip to Mexico. 13anghart, lCelty, 'Doig and Co. Chartered Accountants 268 Main St., Exeter ARTHUR W, READ Resident Partner Bus. 235-0120, Res. 238-8075 Business and Professional Directory OPTOMETRISTS J. E. Longstaff OPTOMETRIST SEAFORTH MEDICAL CENTRE 529.1240 Tuesday, Taursday, Friday, Sat- urday a.m., Thursday evening CLINTON OFFICE 10 Issac Street482.7010 Monday and Wednesday Call either office for appointment. Norman Martin OPTOMETRIST Office Hours: 9-12 A,M, — 1:30-6 P.M. Closed all day Saturday Phone 235.2433 Exeter, INSURANCES Robert F. Westlake insurance "Special's:Mg In General Insurance~ Phone 236-4391 — Zurich NORM WHITING LICENSED AUCTIONEER & APPRAISER Prompt, Courteous, Efficient ANY TYPE, ANY SIZE, ANYWHERE We give complete sale service. PROFIT 1W EXPERIENCE !when. C.II.ot 231.1%4 EirITER AUCTIONEERS PERCY WRIGHT LICENSED AUCTIONEER Kippen, Ont. Auction Sate Service that is most efficient and courteous. CALL THE WRIGHT AUCTIONEER Telephone Hensel) (519)262-5515 D & J RIDDELL AUCTION $IIRVICES " Licensed Auctioneers and Appraisers o Complete Auction Service # Bales large or small, any type, anywhere * Reasonable — Two for the price of one Let our experience be your reward. Phone Collect 'Doug' 'Jack' 237-3576 237-3431 Hugh Tom FILSON and ROBSON AUCTIONEERS 20 years' experience of complete sale service Provincially licensed. Conduct sales of any kind, • any place. To insure success of your sale, or appraisal Phone Collect 666-0033 666-1967 Guaranteed Trust Certificates 1 & 2 YEARS '9 1/2% 3 & 4 YEARS 9 3/4% 5 YEARS 10% J. W. KABERLRR ZURICH PHONE 2364346 GERALD L. MERNER Chartered Accountant BUS: 20 Sanders E. — EXETER — 235-0281 RES: 10 Green Acres —•GRAND BEND — 238-8070