MOTHER, OH, WHERE IS THAT BETTER LAND?

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 285, 18 March 1919, Page 3

MOTHER, OH, WHERE IS THAT BETTER LAND?

Tins is the language of childhood; the first outreachinr «>t the soul after the Spiritual and Divine. There is a sweetness about it, a soothing measure, that lingers on in the life of man. It is fitting that there be childish thoughts for childhood’s days. They somehow dovetail into the maturer years of life, but not to die. The child thought is father to the man thought. Not as the seed produces the plant. Ihe seed of character is in the soul, awaiting a (all from the outside. A call not to another land, but to a fuller adaptation to this land, and a fuller knowledge of its possibilities. Somehow or other, if we could carry over with us from childhood years more of childhood’s simplicity and openness, the life struggle would he lighter. There is reallv no more difficulty in adjusting life in mature years than in childhood. If the burden is heavier, the hack is stronger. 1 don’t like the word burden. 1 have just, from force of habit, used it. It does not call up the right thoughts. Ihe child starts with the thought of a better land. It h.is to learn the lesson that this land is the best fo; the present training, and that in some way, somewhere, there is a “Divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them as we will.” There is no boundary line between childhood and manhood; it is a gradual rise, enlargement. It is not a question of one fitting into the other; but of being tarried into the other. It is a broad outstanding truth, that the <hild is father to the man. Thoughts of childhood are slowly changed, but no doubt a substratum in some way is carried forward into the maturer life. It is thus that we see the necessity for guarding the child mind from error in every form, of every shade. Is there not a suggestion of error in this better I.and thought? We know this is the best of all lands for the opening soul of man. There is no better land for u . until wv have somewhat unfolded. It is not untrue t«. say there is a better land. It is sure. We stand related to it. We have inheritance ; it now. But like the child at school, we need to be educated before we ran

use it

This suggests to us the real business of life. The place, our place, is right. We were not consulted about it. The All Wise fixed it up for us. It is the how of life, not it> where, that i> all-important. It is all important that the child mind, at an carlv stage, should know this. Could we improve those beautiful words, “Mother, Oh! where is this bcttci Land?” They sound so sweetly, have cheered many in the past, that it seems almost sacrilegious to say a word against them. Vet there is a more excellent way. It is well to impress the childish mind with the fact that we have not reached the best in life yet. By all ways, and every way, assure the opening mind that life holds better things than have yet reached us. It has an interest in a better land; but only when we are ready for the change. We don’t need to withdraw anything said about the better land. It is all right, only there is something comes before it. This, what we may name a primary quantity, needs to be added in some way. It is not a case of subtraction, but addition. Possibly the better land suggests more than another country to most minds. God-given life seeks more than place, more than land, however bright. Man is Spirit, and Spirit seeks Spirit. Man is Godmade, and only God can satisfy the soul’s desire. But the thought of a better land may help, may draw higher, nearer to fitness. We all know, in later life, that I.o\e is the great transformer that fits to fill a better land. It can go far to make earth like heaven, and the best heaven we may dream of, could not continue without Love. It is in the highest degree desirable that children should know this in early life. It is a germ truth, that opens and grows in the soul, producing fruit of its kind, always sweet, bright, good.

All human love is mixed, we may say, with human characteristics, is human. This seems, may be, like playing on words, but there is a truth very near it. W’e may put it another way: All earth love is mixed with per sonal qualities. It may be correct to say it is human. Love, as we meet it every day, is a compound of the best, and we may say the ordinary. It may sometimes seem only to have a veneer, hut it is always good. I here may he good love and better love

down here amongst men. We hear the goldminer speak of good gold, hut he does not want us to think there is any bad gold about. He onl> means there is suhstan< e of less value mixed with it. “God is love,” and hive is from God ; it is our highest com option of excellence.