HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Star, 1931-12-10, Page 15triKrat fitranitto CIFistatas:44
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IIRISTI IAS DAY is a rornariera,oratiort
rather than an anniversary, and like
other comramemorationo may mean son••e•
what different things to different people.
To some it is the festival of what
might be called social charity; that is
to say, an occasion for endeavoring to
increase, the world's capital of good -will which. is not
perhaps unduly large. This was the aspect which
appealed to Charles Dianne and has been immortalized
by hint in the Christmas Carol, a work which c rtsinly'
deserves to rank as an English classic And
as far as it gees,this view of Christmas is Christian.
It may not, amount to very couch, but it is at least worth something.
Others see in. Christmas the festival of childhood. The Infant Jesus has inspired many
pictures and some poetry. This sentiraiegt is also Christian as far as it goes. One of the
great difficulties which the Christian religion has made is that it has created a new attitude
towards children. It hasomade parents the natural protectors instead of the owners. of them.
In the old world the exposure of ,infants was a very common thing (as it is said to be in China
today) and was not regarded as in the .least reprehensible,,,
But both these views are only superficial. Neither the idea of social charity nor the
-claim ef-'helpless infancy exhausts the meaning of the day. Christmas is—it is almost a
platit1 de to say so—the fe el i of the Incarnation; It commemorates the fact that "The
,1 word was made flesh"; that is to say, that God has really entered once for all into humane
life, For .centuries before, man had'been learning to think of God as acting in or upon the:;
world: In heathen thought divine intervention in human affairs was fitful, capricious and,
arbitrary. It was sometimes inspired by motives Which could not be defended. Possibly this
was in part an outcome of polytheism; that is, of belief in a number of div'ne personages of
approximately elite! power whose wills. were often in conflict. But whatever the limitations
within which it•t ok place, it was a real intervention. Except in the philosophy of Epicurus,
which was next door to atheism, pagan divinities did not neglect this world, but they acted. i
upon it from outside.
s * * * .
Hebrew teachers went deeper: If their speculative range was narrow their insight was
more profound. .They believed in one. God only, whose intervention in human 'affairs was
continuous and not arbitrary. It was guided and inspired by
intelligible moral principles.
But the gulf between even this rind the Christian standpoint
is enormous. Neither Greek nor Jew nor anybody else•had ever
conceived the idea of Brod really entering into human life and
sharing it, so that in.a sense God and mankind are no longer two,
but one. . ,
•
Heathen mythology had many legends of godswho had assumed
human form for .some particular purpose, and had then laid it
aside when that purpose -usually a discreditable one—had been
achieved. The adventures of Krishna, who is sometimes termed
"The Hindu Christ" (save the mark!) can be studied by the curious
at the British Museum. But this article could never be printed if I
were to describe some of then; in detail here. Such stories have nothing in Common with
Christian belief.
The Christian religion holds that the Son of God haw taken our nature upon Him; that
is, has entered really, fully, once for all, into human life. It may fairly be argued that a con-
ception so overwhelming, at first sight so profane could never have been entertained, had it.
not been forced upon men by the inexorable logic of historical facts which could not be
explained away. But however the conclusion was reached,' the Christian religion does say
as much as that, and has steadily refused to accept any tamer substitute:
It is obvious. that nothing can be beyond this compass of religion which dares as much
as that at the outset. No intellectual adventure can be too bold for it, and no conventions,
however deeply rooted, ,can hope to withstand a creed which adds to its astounding premise
the assertion that the Saviour of the world was born in the stable of a village inn..
Christmas Day really means as much as that. It has given to the world an entirely new
" HE LOVES ME. HE LOVES ME NOT ".
. conception of therelations between God and man and of the methods which God employs to
accomplish His purpose. It right that wd should keep the day as a great festival,' and that
the birth of Christ should come to be the beginning of a new era. For from the moment when.
1• God entered into human life the world could never be the same place again,
BUBBLES"
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What A Combination For steal
Family Happiness
Have • That Radio Checked ever
To Assure Perfect Satisfaction, Or
Better Still, Make Arrangements
To Hear The New Atwater Kent
Radio, .
Golden. 'nice -Golden. Value
CALL '
FRANK RILEY
Phone 518 Newgate St ': Godeiich
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SOME
Christmas Gift Suggestions
from HUNT' 1: STORE
A Norge Electric Refrigerator
A Westinghouse Electric Range
Or a Connor Washer forthe home
A Flexo-Flyer for the boy '
O, a pair of Skates and Boots
A Rubber -tired Tricycle for the younger bo
Our stock of Electrical Appliances, Kitchell
Utensils, Cutlery, Jack Knives, Pen Knives, etc.,
is complete.
Take a Free Ora's on the beautiful Synchron-
ous Electric Clock.
Drawing New Year's
F. HUNT
HARDWARE
A HAMILTON ST. GODERICH
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ANY thousands of people enjoying Christmas at home in Canada are think'
ing of rel'ati es o'r'friends abrd th
and wonderin how .e will',,,,spet�`he
day...
But they can rest assured that, no matter where the absent ones are,
they will celebrate the occasionin a fitting manner, for too strong are their
Aid memories of traditional customs that Christmas means as much to them on
the Equator as it would were they in Canada.
Out in.India the day is usually one of hot sunshine.•
Although holly is' practically unobtainable, yet native
mistletoe -and bougaincillea_mike'excellent suhstitutes for
decorations. Where there is a garrison they hold a full
dress church, parade.. Curiously enough' open-air picnics
are held in the afternoon, while dinner parties and fancy
dress balls are the_ more conventional means of spending
the evening.
In regions like Baffin Land the men in the isolated
posts of the Hudson's. Bay •Coinpany, pass the loneliest
Christmas. in the world, for they are absolutely cut off from
the .world each winter until the following July, and in
many cases the last letters or presents they have received
will have been posted in England as far back as the pre-
vious July. Yet these hard-bitten, fur•clad, then manage
to enjoy themselves..
Others., are more .fortunate, for air mails and dog . .
sleighs deliver their Christmas mails.
All over the seven seas ships great and small are away on the waves for Christmas, but
that never causes the day to be forgotten, rather it is anticipated with even more relish --if
that is possible, than at home. In little fishery protection sloops, trawlers, coasting steamers,
and ordinary tramps, special dinners with plum puddings are made aboard, and "dog -watches"
—short spells of duty—are worked to enable the seaman to enjoy his share of the good things.
On the great Atlantic liners immense preparations • are taken to ensure that Christmas is
a success. Huge quantities of special Christmas provisions and drinks are carried, and these
combined with crackers, beautiful decorations and a dance, make everyone .happy.
The kiddies too, are equally well -catered for, for Father Christmas `lands" on the ship-
and
hip and distributes presents among them. In addition pierrot concerts keep them roaring, huge
well -laden Christmas trees and a wonderful feed make them all look forward to another
Christmas afloat.
Our own Chtistmas foods are so well known that it is interesting to hear about the differ-
ent dishes favored abroad. Thus roast goose following a rice pudding, is enjoyed in Norway,
and Sweden,,–Germans also patronize roast goose followed by a pudding very similar to ours,
and the whole is washed down with much beer. More .unusual is the roast sucking -pig which
delights the Serbians, and even stranger the sweet cakes of honey and almonds which tickle
the palates of the Neapolitans.
1',z e t of tioiltzu
E oldest name for Chydtmas is "The Feast of Lights" -a reference to the glory in
zir
he' heavens when angels sang their song announcing Christ's. birthto the shepherds.
t is of interest to note that the Chinese, in their astronomical records, entered an
account of a new and 'travelling star,. which appeared a few tnonths after •Christ was
born. Thus the Biblical story of the Wise Men being guided
by.a star has outside corroboration.
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„• MQTORiSTS,
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We .wish to thank ou ma 'Mends
and patrons for ,tit sup
port given our SpeOal Grease Joh -
Offer,
o we wish to Save You. grey:.
By offering another special
With every purchase of 5 gallons or
more : of Erie Gasoline at any Erie
Service Station, we are giving a
FREE OIL COUPON
These coupons have a face value of
10 eents. each and may :he used to
purchase Erie Motor Oils
at any Erie Service. Station.
Y
Every gallon of Erie Gasoline is
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For all kinds of Business and Society Printing call The Star. For Advertising that Pays use The Star.
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