MEMORIAL WINDOWS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 609, 11 March 1929, Page 14

MEMORIAL WINDOWS

KING S COLLEGE CHAPEL UNVEILING AND DEDICATION In memory of two brothers. Edward Hyde Pierce and Arthur Patrick Hector Pierce, who were killed in the Great War, two stained glass windows were unveiled and dedicated in King’s College chapel yesterday. The windows were presented by relatives and unveiled by Daniel Pierce, a son of Arthur Pierce, assisted by John Upton and Bruce Hay, nephews of the brothers.

Canon H. K. Arclidall, headmaster of tlie college, performed the dedication, and the service was conducted by the chaplain, the Rev. J. M. Beaufort. The parable of the pearl of great price is the foundation l of the window to Edward Pierce. In the foreground the pearl dealer is depicted and the merchant seeking to buy a pe.arl is standing at his side. The robes of the merchant are of rich purple, the other being clad in many shades of brown. In the background can be seen the sea and the ship on which the merchant has voyaged. In the other window the sower occupies the main part of the scene. I-Ie is seen with the bowl of seed under his left arm. while around him are the various types of soil mentioned in tlie parable. In the background is a second figure. Explaining the symbolism of the windows Canon Arclidall said the memorials represented the noble end for which the old boys commemorated in them gave their lives, showing how the pearl of great price was a declaration by Our Lord that there was one thing in life—in comparison with which all earthly success was as nothing. This pearl was the divine Kingdom, to realise which was the eternal purpose of life—was, in fact, human life itself, according to the divine standards, containing all the noble achievements of beauty, truth and goodness, of affection, intellect and will which sprang from God.

“The parable of the sower represents the human reception of that Kingdom as it has to break through the different kinds of human circumstances,” continued Canon Arohdall. The soil by the wayside is the proud sell-sufficient personality which does not allow the divine Kingdom to take root within it. The shallow soil is the shallowness of the folk who seek to deal with God on merely outside levels. From them, too, no progress toward the Kingdom can come. The dirty soil, full of weeds and briars, represents those positively evil elements of human nature springing up often in the most generous personalities, but which prevent a truly unity of life. The good SOI J 1S the life, by the grace of God ar A o “ uman will, vigorous in Church and fetate, making possible the realisation of the divine purpose.” on f h ? h ?si? s, s 9, olle f e chapel was the ° f lts klnd in Auckland wholly given over to the religious inv? n -° f A he meanin S of the sacrifice of life in the recent war. As such he wished it to be regarded as a posof * the P e °P le of Auckland**for then constant inspiration, comfort and guidance, the preacher concluded.