Men in the days of the great Teacher were as we are to-day, prone to
compound for the neglect of duties near at hand by the adoration of
spiritual delights far off. They talked about getting right with God
while they continued to do wrong to men. The problem of the hypocrite
who is so thrilled with the delights of heaven that he scorns earthly
duties and decencies is not a new one.
How easy it is to substitute syllogisms for service, to think that we
do our duty by describing it, so to exhaust oneself in pleasant and
seductive dreams of a distant heaven that we have no power left to
apply to the problems of a needy present-day world.
The mockery of religion to-day is that men and women are going to the
churches, singing themselves into ecstatic complacency and imaginary
harmony with their God while their greed is crushing the hearts of the
helpless and they are blinding themselves to the world's gloom and pain
that unhindered they may enjoy spiritual delights.
Things cannot be right in our relations to the Father of spirits until
they are made right in our relations with our brothers in the flesh.
In Christianity social righteousness is basic to spiritual blessing.
The ideal kingdom waits for ideal conditions and relations amongst its
subjects.
The way to the Father lies through the brother. If you would learn to
love God--and how indefinite and idealistic that seems to most of
us--the lesson is simple, first learn to love His other children,
especially the helpless, needy, and wronged. Delights high and
spiritual always will be remote until duties near at hand are done.
The revival we most of all need to-day is a revival of the social
conscience, the recognition of the fact that we can offer no gift
acceptable, in the temple of worship or the place of prayer, until we
have washed our hands from the blood of our fellows, that we can pay
nothing to God until we have in earnest set about paying our debts to
men.
Anxious, perhaps, to claim our rights as children of the Father in
heaven, we have forgotten that that title is promised to the
peacemakers. What avail is it to pray, Thy kingdom come, if we block
its advent by cherishing enmity in our hearts? What use is it to carry
hearts torn with malice, souls sunken in selfishness, and spirits torn
with pride and covetousness to the place that belongs to the meek and
lowly?
Many a man is going to church and coming away empty in heart; perhaps
he has given up any hope of finding solace in religion, who would find,
as it were, the windows of heaven opened up if he should give himself
for an hour to making some other helpless lives happy, to righting some
wrong or bringing some joy to lives embittered and oppressed.
The pathway to God is a plain one, strikingly lacking in romance, with
no attendant visible angelic choir. It is the doing of whatever duty
or kindness I owe to those near me, the breaking down of walls of
prejudice--spite fences built in ignorance and hatred--the learning to
love and help, the seeking of peace, good feeling, and harmony with all
men.
This does not mean that all must become professors of sociology; the
study of social theories often is a substitute for the practice of
social duties; but that we must seek out the good in men, we must set
ourselves right with them, we must discharge all our responsibilities
towards men before we can realize God. The kingdom comes as we
recognize the kingliness in all the sons of the kingdom, as we express
our faith in God by friendship for our fellows.