CLOTHES AND RELIGION.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 11, 14 January 1929, Page 8

CLOTHES AND RELIGION.

CHEERFUL CHRISTIANITY.

BANISH THE GLOOM

•Speaking to the boys and girls of St. Paul's Church, Devonport, for the last time prior to returning to Invcrcargill the Rev. J. Lawson Robinson, First Church, gave some good advice on the wearing of clothes. There was not. he said, so much trouble with boys' clothes as with girls. Girls had much more clothing than boys and even with a wardrobe full girls'still asked what they would wear? They couldn't make up their minds what they would wear so as to be just in the latest fashion. Unlike boys, _'irls loved dressing, and ho had often noticed that quite young "iris would almost spend a whole" day dressing and undressing a doll, and boys could not understand what fun they out of it. Girls, too, worried their brothers about dress and it was a common thing for Johnny to be told by his mother or his sister to go and put his proper coat on and to get dressed properly. Perhaps the limit of boys' dressing had reached its extreme when the fashions demanded that his tie had to match the colour of his socks! It was an innovation and he was glad it was not in vogue when he was a boy. There seemed to be no end to new ideas in dress and they all helped to make life a little more irksome. He urged the young people to remember that the clothing of their souls was the all important thing. Habits formed the garments of the soul. Mercy, kindliness, love and charity were good garments to wear—they never got out of fashion. Never mind how the body was clothed, so long as the mind was made beautiful by cultivating the best gifts of God. They should prepare for a fuller and better life which was prepared for them.

Speaking to the older people, be said that they had to get back the sunshine into Christianity. At present there was too much theology in it. Christ never wished to quench laughter. Those who thought religion dull thought differently the more they studied the life of Christ. When He was on earth, He was more severe on the religious people of his day than any other clase. He disliked the long-faced people. Jesus Himself was a very happy man, although it was true that He was the Man of Sorrows. He never brought His sorrows to others, although He understood the darkest grief man ever passed through. Gloomy religion was not right religion.

Sunshine was wanted more anymore in their Christianity, and a kindlier sympathy shown by man to man. In every town there were those who did nothing but criticise and saw pood nowhere, Those were the people he for one liked to dodge, and when he saw them coming he hurried around the nearest street corner. Many a man whom the world called a sinner put to shame many church members because of the Christ-like qualities in his innermost soul.