The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, December 24, 1943. CHRISTMAS.

Grey River Argus, 24 December 1943, Page 3

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, December 24, 1943. CHRISTMAS.

Once more all of the peoples whose civilisation and culture are Christian unite throughout the world, whether at peace or at war, in the many-centuried celebration of Christmas. In many lands, this fifth war-time festival will lack several of its traditional forms. Privations have grown in every country. Good cheer, therefore, of merely a physical kind must give a greater place than of yore to that of a more spiritual character. In that respect, however, this Christmas will bear a closer resemblance in its circumstances to the poor and humble ones of the first Christmas. Though it is more than others a festival of youth, any lack of creature comforts will not dampen the enjoyment of children, while those of an older growth are able to fall back on memories which enshrine many a happy Christmas of the past. This contrast only goes to illustrate the one. much, more fundamental, between the Christian gospel of peace to all men of ■goodwill and the continuance of deadly conflict. Some might hastily think that Gospel should have averted the conflict, but the truth is it has not been tried and found wanting, but has been found difficult and has not been practised. This century has seen humanity progress in some directions more than it did previously in a thousand years, but no little of the fruits of such progress are to-day employed, not to serve so much as to slay. This season is a reminder that they arc not all men of ill-will against whom our forces are fighting, but that they have had to obey leaders, many of whom were lacking in goodwill, who chose the sword rather than the way of peace, and

in the coming year face the fate of those who choose the sword. Tempered though it be by the knowledge of hardships, risks and sufferings being borne 'by the fighting services; by the prospect of yet harder fighting in the coming year, and by inconveniences and privations on the home fronts, this Christmas may nevertheless be celebrated in a hopeful and cordial atmosphere in the knowledge that since last Christmas the war has turned so generally in favour of the United Nations. It is a time when the mind even may be directed beyond all the carnage and destruction to the day when the true spirit of Christmas and peace shall reigh again, and the nations shall all co-operate to rebuild a shattered world on a foundation more in accord with Christian teaching and therefore with true human brotherhood. If war has encompassed the earth, it is because human dictators have been set above divine direction, and before the danger of a recurrence is allayed, men must return to a realisation of their need of redemption from the purely humanistic standards, which formed the prelude to the present catastrophe. New Zealanders can fortunately look 'back upon a year in which they were definitely relieved of a very real danger of invasion, and also can be thankful. that compared with almost any of the other warring countries they are in their own able to celebrate Christmas much the more comfortably and bounteously. On all sides, from the services to the masses, there is to-day a confident and grateful feeling inspiring New Zealanders, and their exchanges of greetings ring as true and cordial as ever before. In keeping, therefore, with those sentiments we have the utmost pleasure in extending to all of our readers the wish: A Happy Christmas and A Prosperous New Year.