HE IS HERE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23161, 10 April 1937, Page 16

HE IS HERE

Written for the Otago Daily Times By the Rev. D. Gardner Miller I am never tired of reminding those who listen to me that we do not worship a dead Christ, but a living Lord, Who is here. And I am always rejoicing in my own soul that I do not need to wait until the clock of time runs down and stops for me to meet my Lord, for I have His daily company now and that makes time of no account. Personally, I cannot think of any more heartening message to give to men and women who are finding life a difficult business than that the Saviour is not in a faraway heaven, but is here, walking our roads, and sharing, if we will let Him, our triumphs and troubles. We have really no symbol of our religion. We make a mistake if we make the Cross a symbol. The Cross is not the final word of the gospel. The final word has not yet been written. What justifies the Cross, if I may put it so, is the fact that the tomb was found empty. We haye no symbol, but we can have an inner experience. Jesus is not a dead man on a cross, He is a living Saviour Who came back to live with us, to live in us. And the experience of knowing that the Lord is here is the most exhilarating I have ever known. It can be the experience of all of us, according to the degree of our acceptance of the astounding fact that He is here. When I think of the presence of Christ in everyday life, my memory immediately recalls that striking experience that Dr Dale, the eminent preacher, had. Dr Dale, my older readers will remember, was the minister of the famous Carr’s Lane Church, in Birmingham. I knew it well, for my first charge after leaving college was in the next street. Dear, dirty Birmingham, I remember you with great affection. An intimate friend of the great preacher tells of the personal experience that he had one day that for ever changed his outlook. “He was writing an Easter sermon, and when halfway through, the thought of the risen Lord broke in upon him as it had never done before. ‘ Christ is alive,’ I said to myself; ‘alivel’ And then I paused; alive! and then I paused again; alive! Can that really be true? living as really as myself am? I got up and walked about repeating ‘Christ is living.’ 1 Christ is living! ’ At first it seemed strange and hardly true, but at last it came upon me as _ a burst of sudden glory; yes, Christ is living. It was to me a new discovery. I thought that all along I had believed it; but not until that moment did I feel sure about it. I then said, ‘ My people shall know it; I shall preach about it again and again until they believe it as I do now.’ ” For months afterwards, and in every sermon, the living Christ was his one great theme; and there and then began the custom of singing in Carr’s Lane on every Sunday morning an Easter hymn. When first I attended service there I was surprised to hear on a November morning the hymn given out, “ Christ is Risen; Hallelujah! ” I mentioned it to Dr Dale afterwards, and he said: “ I want my people to get hold of the glorious fact that Christ is alive, and to rejoice over it, and Sunday, you know, is the day on which Christ left the dead.” To me, that story is priceless. In a way it is my own story, for when the glorious fact that Christ is alive and here dawned upon my. own soul, that experience, many years ago, began a new chapter in my life-book. • >f. * * I am afraid many of us miss His gracious Presence because we

imagine that He must come to us, and make Himself known, in a striking way. Nothing could be further from actuality. We look for a dramatic experience arid 10, He is found sitting at our table breaking bread with us. We look for an angel in shimmering garments and 10, He joins us as a stranger on the way home and shares our company. V/e expect someone whose words are grave, a philosopher, and 10, He comes as a comrade talking our homely speech. He was one of us when He lived in Palestine long ago, He is still one of us as He fills every open heart with His presence. These eyes of ours cannot see Him, but that does not mean He is not there. The most wonderful things in life, beauty and truth, goodness, purity and love, are all seen by the ‘inner’ eye. We do not doubt their reality because we cannot handle them. What I would like you to grasp specially is the lovely thought that this wonderful Saviour of ours Who is alive and Who is here, right beside you and me, is the most understanding Person in all the world.' He not only knows your every need, but He also knows how often you fail to be your best, though you have striven hard enough in all conscience, and He makes allowances. I have always believed that personal experience comes before doctrine. I never feel upset about people’s beliefs, if I know that they know Jesus as a living, personal friend. Sometimes it must be difficult for our living Lord to understand us, we are so jumpy and changeable, but His patience matches His understanding, and He waits. To experience this understanding and patience is worth more than to know creeds and doctrines. But some of you are saying “Yes, that’s fine, but how can I know that Christ is here? ” The answer to that is simple. You will know that He lives and that He is here beside you if you will take it for granted that He is so. In other words, your knowledge will rise from your experience. And your experience will be born from experiment.' Don’t argue whether He is here; take it for granted that He is, and you will find that He is. That is faith at its freshest. Now, if Jesus is here, you wouldn’t talk in stilted language and use big words. Of course not. Then let your prayers be in the nature of conversations with a beloved friend. Believe me, you will find that it is not a one-sided conversation. You will soon be aware that He is answering you. “Take time to be holy; talk oft with thy Lord.’*If you let this great and gracious truth sink into your hearts that our Lord is here, just where you are, you will enter and enjoy a new nhase of Christian dis'cipleship. BOOKS Here are three books very well worth reading: “ Christ in the Modem Hospital,” by Philip Inman,/ the eminent director of Charing Cross Hospital, London. The price is only Is. This is a book of “inside ” knowledge and a record of triumphant faith, a moving book, a book to thank God for. “ God Does Guide Us,” by W. E. Sangster (Is). Many will be glad that this cheap edition of a striking book is now available. “ Prayer, by O. Hallesby, of Norway (2s 6d). Among the many books on prayer this will take a special place. It has taught me things about prayer I ought to have known long ago. Listen to this: “In prayer the Church has received power to rule the world. The Church is always the little flock. But if it would stand together on its knees it would dominate world politics—from the prayer room. And the result would be one of two things, either a world-wide revival or the appearance of anti-Christ.”