December 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s . B u s i n e s s
546
public may see and delight in them. Innumerable presents are exchanged. For the most part, these are inexpensive, useful gifts given and received by friends and acquaint ances. In some cases, fabulous sums are spent on elaborate gifts where the giver expects as much in return. But even in America, with its fairyland appearance at the Christ mas season, the words of our Lord are true, and never more true than this year, when a tremendous army of needy folk marches into the picture demanding attention because of the present world-wide depression: “The poor always ye have with you.” But America, with, its originality and generosity, rises to the occasion with a “white Christmas.” Sunday-school classes and church organizations send donations. Even public schools send contributions. A committee receives in numerable packages, opens them and classifies them. An other committee packs baskets, while still another delivers them. And when the last basket has been delivered and the last needy home in the community visited, the great army of willing workers, who gave themselves without stint to the task, go to sleep and to dream of the cheer and com fort brought to needy families through their efforts at the Yuletide. But has the message of the Christ been given with every basket? It has in some cases. For example, a mis sion worker arrived at a one-room flat in a great city. The man of the house was rude and ordered her away from his door. But as she told him with a smile that God, who loved him very dearly had remembered him with the gift she wished to deliver, he invited her into his home. He pointed to his two motherless children asleep in their bed and ex plained that he was out of work and there was nothing to put in the little stockings that hung on the end of the bed. His wife had died a year ago. He had sold the furniture to pay the rent, and his wife’s clothing to buy food, and was about to pawn his wife’s ring to buy their Christmas breakfast, and he could not believe in a God of love who would allow a condition like this. But the worker was able to point him to Jesus, and before she left, she had the joy of seeing him make a full surrender to her Lord and Sav iour. What is the spirit back of our giving at this Christmas season? Is it that of Ziba, who met David with large gifts, expecting to gain lands, favor, and wealth in return? Or is it that of Mephibosheth, who said, in effect, “Let him take all, I want only the return of the king” ? Which would de light our hearts more, the most valuable gifts the world could give, or that our gifts and the spirit in which they are given should help to bring back the King ? Let all that look for hasten the coming, joyful day, By earnest consecration to walk the narrow way, By gathering in the lost ones for whom our Lord did die, For the crowning day that’s coming by and by. Have You Seen It? A new department, of especial interest to Sunday-school teachers, has been added to T h e K ing ’ s B u siness . The writer, Mr. Herbert H. Tay, has traveled extensively in the Holy Land., You will enjoy the “Walks and Talks in Holy Places” which he conducts each week.
THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS [Continued from page 535]
to them for that day from the leper outposts, and who bring first-hand information about the work being done in the leper colonies. And she tells of the packing of the boxes and the shipping of them to the leper stations of the world where the garments are to be distributed on Christmas Day. While her countrymen refrain, for conscientious reasons, from holding Christmas and refuse to enter into the spirit of the modern Christmas and give gifts to those who can well afford to buy the luxuries that are usually dis tributed at the Christmas season, her sewing circle is bring ing cheer into the hearts of people who are forgotten by at least ninety per cent of the rest of the world, and her an swer is, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Surely her gifts are like the gold, and frankincense, and myrrh brought by the wise men, who were few in number, in honor of the King. “Let your light so shine before men, that they: may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” In western Ireland, a custom prevails which is worth thinking about as the Christmas season approaches. The common people are too poor to ever dream of exchanging presents with their relatives of friends. Probably some of them never heard of the exchange of gifts at Christmas time. Many of them never heard of a Christmas tree. And j if one were presented to them, they would not know what to do with it; and if they should know for what purpose it was. given, they could not afford to buy the trimmings with which to decorate it. So, beyond going to Mass in their Roman Catholic churches and having a dinner for which they have saved up for weeks and maybe months, there is no ado made about the Christmas season among the poor- of western Ireland. But as Christmas Eve comes around, a front window is cleared in each home. The shade is drawn up, and a candlestick with a huge candle, large enough to burn all night, is placed in the window and lighted just as dusk is settling over the land. Then the members of the family retire for the night. No stockings are hung up. No Christmas tree is trimmed. No presents are given or ex pected. Santa Claus is unknown. But, in their ignorance and superstition, the common people of western Ireland are satisfied with the thought that, while no welcome awaited the Christ at His first advent, the lighted candle in their window shows that a welcome awaits Him should His second advent take place on Christmas Eve. Looking westward from Ireland, the nearest neighbor is America. It lies three thousand miles away across the Atlantic. It is a new world and is reputed to be a land of wealth and opportunities where things are done on a scale unprecedented in the old world. At Christmas, this fact is more pronounced than at any other season of the year. The homes of rich and poor alike, with shades drawn up, are gorgeously lighted. Christmas trees are in evidence every where—in private homes, with their pretty decorations for the family to enjoy; on lawns, with their varicolored lights for neighbors and passers-by to admire; in public places, municipal Christmas trees are exquisitely lighted that the
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