The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1913. CHRISTMAS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8612, 24 December 1913, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1913. CHRISTMAS

To-morrow will bo Christmas Day. To-morrow the whole of Christendom' will celebrate the anniversary of the" greatest event in history—the birth of tho Prince of Peace. It is indeed a> great and noteworthy occasion, this season of “poaco on earth, goodwill toward men,” and may well induce us to give pause and reflect. All over the world, practically, from sea to sea and' continent to continent, in every land and every clime, the hand of fellowship for once in tho year, at least; will bo extended from one to the) other. It is the season for cementing friendships and healing feuds, for hap-i py reunions and still happier obliteration of misunderstandings. There is a world of truth in that verse in l Bracken’s beautiful poem, “Not Understood”. — .... How trifles often change us! The thoughtless sentence and tho fancied slight Destroy long yearn of friendship, and estrange us. And on our souls there falls a freezing blight— Not understood. In Ohristmastido we have a golden opportunity to remove misunderstandings often potty enough in origin but severely depressing in consequences,' and it is an exceedingly wholesome and fortunate circumstance that there ia such an occasion wherever the ennobling influences of Christianity extend. There is not yet peace on> earth, it is very true. Men and women, factions and societies, still quarrel and exert themselves to injure one another. Nations still refer their disagreements to the barbaric arbitrament of the sword. Painful and gross injustices still exist, and seem ab times almost to mock at the popular boasts of what is termed “civilisation.” Cruelties there are, and want and suffering, quite sufficiently acute' and clamant to remind us that the mission of the Nazarone is not yet accomplished—that there yet remain' grim enemies to conquer, wide fields l of enterprise open to the altruist and tho social reformer.

But if wo calmly consider, and take stock, as it were, the outlook is by no moans unpromising; the future appears to be rather less dark .than the past. The spread of education; the advance of science, particularly in bringing tbo nations closer together through improved means of communication and mutual trade; tie growthof international societies concerning themselves in sociology, in. arbitration, in industrial laws; the extendedstudy of social science and its moreintelligent application; the labours inthe library and the discoveries in the laboratory—all of these things are helping steadily and perhaps more greatly than wo can very well realise towards a bettor and a happier future for all mankind. They are contributing to bring about a general movementin the direction of peace on earth; they are important factors working in the direction of goodwill toward men. Thus if we balance facts against facts, it is found that while the idealof universal peace is still far freonattainment, there are nevertheless compensating achievements of very great and very real value. We find that many good and powerful influences are operating for the benefit ofthe whole world, which is the field ofthe religion founded hy the Prince of. Peace.

And in. any case this is no time for pessimism or cynicism. This is Christmas. It is a time for rejoicing, for legitimate and reasonable holidaymaking and pleasure-taking. Essentially, this is the time to make children happy, if it bo only with a tin' trumpet or a wax doll. This is the season when we can all do something, for somebody. It is an occasion Upon which, let us earnestly hope, imlost people will arrive at some realisation of the fact that it is more blessed to give than to receive. The poor we have always with us. Unhappily, we sometimes forget it. But at this festive season of the year, when the cares and worries of everyday life are laid aside for the time, giving place to happier and kindlier thoughts, it behoves ail who are able to do so to help those who are less fortunately circumstanced, for any who allow the season to pass without thus giving exercise to the noble impulses of charity will have celebrated Christmas not at all.