SUNDAY READING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 5

SUNDAY READING.

CHRISTMAS

(By tin* Rev. James Aitken, ALA.)

Christmas, is the festival of the Birth of Christ. If was a festival long before Christ was born, among the peoples of Europe. In the northern hemisphere it is, of course, the depth of winter; and in the north of Europe especially the days are short and d)i 11 and gloomy. It is cold and cheerless

“Winter reignoCb o’er the land Freezing with his joy breath I read and hare the tall trees stand All is chill and drear as death.’’ But the shortest day is past. There is little outward change yet. not enough to notice: hut the earth has begun her .journey towards springtime and the sun again. And so the peoples ol those northern lands used long ago to make merry and rejoice at tin's season, in anticipation of the light and warmth and life that were coming again hy and bye. It was originally an old pagan feast. The church laid hold of it and sanctified it hy associating it with tlie coming of cur Lord. I here is no record of the date oi ( hrist s birth. For some hundreds of tears different dates were kept in different parts ol the Homan Empire. Some places celebrated it in January, some in April, some in May. But in course of time, lor the sake of uniformity, other dates were given up in favor oi midwinter, and This 2btli ol December became Christmas. Day. Ihe date is historically ' wrong, for this is the height of the rainy season in Palestine, and there would be no shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night. But- it is symbolically rights for the coming oi Jesus meant the dawning of a new era on the darkness ol men’s mind? and hearts, a new era of knowledge and of hope. Jesus brought to the world a new vision of God. an assurance of the Divine grace and mercy and love far beyond what men had ever dared to dream of; and a new and' living hope of the victory c: good over evil and of lile over uenth such as they had never dared to cherish. Not knowing exactly when His birth took place, the church in Europe could have chosen no mere suitable season for Christmas than that which marks the first yielding of darkness and death to the stirring oi the new life which v.ill set break forth in the wonder and glory of spring. Here are some verses which express it, all for us very well :

C HRIsTMA JUDE

Let the Christmas bells ring t;heei_\ . Let the earth carols sing, And a joyful clamour echo From the birds upon the wing! For the child that came toJEthlehem Was a Saviour and a King. And His mother whispered lullaby Beside His narrow lied, While the angels hung around H.nt With their starry wings outspread And the weary earth turned sunward From the gloom of ages dead. He was wrapped in swaddling garments. And in helplessness He lay. But His infant face throws sunlight On the darkness of our way. And His human arm upholds ir» Wlien our mortal hopes decay. He was cradled in a manger. And thorn-crowned upon a tree. But He leads His people onware. To the mansions of the free. And His day will dawn in splendent Like the "sunrise on the sea I. \\ . -lack.

Manv customs have grown up round ‘Christmas, expressive m tncmain of jov and kindness lhe> nar. th.-ir origin i?i tfio<o northern latitudes. and are appropriate to viiuei rather than to summer: but they have not quite died cut among us here. There is a little extra ieasung on Christmas Day. we aim at going the children a little extra merriment, we encourage thorn to hang ip Gien Christmas stockings, we decorate the Christmas tree for them. And a> of us exchange greetings and gut'' | with cur friends and neighbors, j These things have a religious signm- , c-anee. They express our joy m the , light of site knowledge e: u»«* | God, and that goodwill toward one j another which becomes those to whom j God is good. There are legends and J traditions connected with hkw 01 I these tilings, some oi ihem very j beautiful. Take for example the hgend of the Christmas tree. _ . i Long centuries ago good >r. b* 1 ” 1 - | face travelled through the lowlands of Northern Europe, earrymg the storv oi Good Tidings to tne si-atter-ed villages and towns. On a t hristmns Eve h.e came to a place where was a sight that pained his heart. Human sacrifice was about to be atlored at the foot ot the wak he sacred to those primitive lolk. In appealing tones he besought them to pause till he could tell them the storv of God's greatest gilt to man. the V hrist Child. 'I hen. gently reloa sincr the victim, he gathered the worshippers around a little fir tree am bade them learn its lesson: tor its roots wore in the earth, yet it eiereached heavenward, lake ns neigh hors, the holly and mistletoe, it ~er.t alive throughout the winter amt spoke to the eold dead world m the great life-giver. But because m the dark night the message ri the tree was hidden. St. Bomtaee called oi tapers to he brcuglu and candles wlierewith to set it alight. >» tin glow of the twinkling lights the good Saint eontinhed his story ol the Light, that was the Lite ol tnen. Then, as the people dispersed. lie nave ea'di a candle Irom the tree, to shine in their hearts and through their lives, till darkness should he banished. Ever since, the Christmas tree and C hristinns earn!ins nave a part- in Christmastide. \Ye think of Christmas m Christian lands: we like to think ot u heino- eelehrated to-day in Australia, in South Africa, in Europe, m America. But we must not forget that it is beginning to be celebrated now m those countries which we have been in the habit of calling noainen. There are manv in India- and Africa and China whlise hearts respond to all the sacred associations ot this season, and who have entered into its spiritual .inheritance. behevD this is a true story: A little Indian hoy sat oil his father's doorstep) with his forehead wrinkled up ui a tunny little frown. It looked as n there was to be no Christmas this year, tor father had been ill a long time and the money was nearly all gone, tie was not thinking about, lioyy many presents he would get. Christmas was to him a time to give presents, not to net tops aiul kites Irom others: That is why lie sat on the doorstep with a frown on lus lace. T n the street people were returning from their Christmas shopping. Some had bundles, some earned baskets in their hands, and here and there-a coolie ran with a basket on his head. Everybody is busy, thought he and everyone, even the coolie hoys, have money of their own to spend. Suddenly he clapped his hands with jov,. and started running towards the shops. . “Can you givh me some work to do 6 ”' he'asked the brass merchant, and the man let-him polish brassware for a few pice. Next morning he delivered packages for a merchant, whose bearer had more work .ban he could do alone at this season. He called a Carriage for a rich ma.,i who did not know the city, and when night fell he had eight whole annas* of his own to spend. It was not very

much. Oranges for the sick father and jasmine lor his. dear mother’s hair were all that no could buy ; but, oli ! how their eves shone with surprise on Christmas Day. They knew that their son had left his play to earn money for his. parents. Father gave him a beautiful hook, and mother a new jacket, but long after the .jacket and hook were in rags he remembered .their eyes r*i that day. If you ask his mother she wall show von some of the jasmine, which she keeps pressed between tlie leaves of the hook that tells rlie Christmas story. That is a simple little tale. How very human and touching it fs. I.t is cheering, too, to us who hope and pray lor the time when the knowledge ol the Lord shall cover the earth as the. waters cover the sen. One more reflection. The spirit of Christmas is not for Christmas only, hut for all the year, for all our lives. Cheerfulness, kindliness, goodwill towards our fellow men. and the sense of the all-encompassing goodness of God—Christmas emphasises them, but they .are just the marks of the followers of Jesus Christ, the characteristics that ought to distinguish us always. The spirit of Christmas is just the Spirit ot Christ. Christ ciinie to save us from selfishness and woildiiness and folly and sin. to call on us to share fiis spirit, to follow in His steps. He would have us grow like Himself. And that great likeness is possible for us—possible in some measure even here—if we really desire it and seek to attain to it. The trouble is that we desire it so little, and make very little effort, to attain to it at all. When Jesus was born lie was laid in a manger; because there was no room for Him in the inn. How often have wo no room for 1i im in our hearts 1 Isn’t it time, we took our religion, our Christianity mere seiieuslv? Isn't it time we were more in earnest about it? "What about making a new start this Christmas time? Christ is born in Bethlehem: what about opening our hearts and receivings Him?

IS THERE ROOM?

Th’ expectant Jew-s were looking for a King— A man in royal purple garmented; The Christ came down, a tmy baby Ghng , , , Oi woman born, to lowly cattle shed. The inn was full. No man would yield The Son of God his bed. His Father's business was Ilis early goal; A carpenter, he earned IBs daily bread: For thirty silent years His gracious soul On truths divine and human love was fed. Then Christ went forth to save, and had not where to lay His head! Tin- dustv reads: ot Galilee He trod To heal, to cheer, to pity, and to Wed The souls of men in cov’nant with their God. i t - At last. To save us. on the Cross He bled. _ , \h; torn!. Id is own. But in another's grave was laid instead! ** In birth, in life, in death, a homeless Christ! H>» sought His own; they knew Him not. and sited Hi- precious blood. Shall <1 not make uiv tryst . With Him this Chnstmnstido: by Him lie led. And give a cherished place _ to Christ before my life bo spedr