Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / Dec. 5, 1935, edition 1 / Page 1
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nrfn ■ 1 i*i i*r\ IlCU THE CROWDED INN By Rev. S. N. Hutchison, D. D., In The Presbyterian Each of the three Gospels, Matthew, Luke and John, gives us something of the Incarna tion. It is only by reading them all that we have the entire record. Luke goes into more fullness of detai' than the oth ers. Tradition tells us that he visited Mary the mother ot Jesus, in her last days, and from her lips learned the wonderful story which he has set down so graphically for us at the open ing of his Gospel. Many inci dents known only to the mother are here represented. Among them is the simple statement: “And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a man ger, because there was no room lor them in the inn.” “Because there was no room for them in the inn,” the Son of God was bom in a stable. He was the Creator of the universe, but when He came to visit it, the oply place to receive Him was among the beasts. We can not blame the inn-* keeper. He was in the business for what he could make out of it. The enrollment ordered by the emperor had drawn to Beth lehem more than the modest inp could accommodate. Many ol his guests were important per sonages. They could pay him well. No doubt he had reserved a room or two for distinguished guests who might appear later. At this juncture tw0 un known persons arrive. One is a young woman. Her condition is such that they must find lodg ing at once. Who are they ? Thf innkeeper does not know thernl He can not feel that he hacany Ajnd then too, they Vere poor and could not pay. An op portunity, such as the enroll ment afforded, to make a bit of money, might not come again to the inpkeeper. It was all right to be charitable, but one owes his first duty to himself. Thus he reasoned. He would not turn them out into the fields. ' That wbfcild be too inhuman under the circumstances. He had a stable out back. They could have that. Before we pronounce sen tence on this innkeeper, let us be very sure we would not have treated them even worse than he did.- This publican did ncfc know who his guest was that night. We know and in spite of that fact we do not, many of us, give Him so much as shel ter in a stable. That first night here of the Son of God in the flesh was typical of what came after. Be fore He was two years old He was taken from Judea into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. AT CttHIC €L 1IU £1C\V UV/ manhood. His own brethren re jected Him. We find few sad der words in literature than His: “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.” He went into the synagogue near which He had grown up and spoke to the people, His own people. They rushed upon Him and cast Him out of the city. There was no room for Him there. Jerusalem, where for centu ries prophets had told of His coming, had no place for Him. At the end of His brief minis try He wept over the city, say ing: “0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, _how often would I have gathered my children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not W These words spoken of the Advent are sadly true today. If an unwelcome guest comes to a hotel the management does not drive him out. It does not tell hhn even that he is not wanted. -* * No, it smiles and treats him with distinguished courtesy, and then, with politeness, in fjims hi.n that every rjom :j taken. The polite world in which we live does not scorn or abuse Christ. No, it treats Him with every consideration. It speaks of Him as the greatest soul who ever passed this way. It goes into raptures over what the w orld would be if His teachings were translated into life. And then it tells him there is no room. He has been crowded out of our thinking and conversation. This is the Christmas Season. Everywhere is peace and good will, glad hearts and smiling faces, because of the Christ Child who was born long ago. It is because of him that we have a Christmas Day. It is be cause of Him the earth is suf fijsed with joy. And yet you can mingle all day with the throng and His name is never mentioned. In our hurrying days of preparation for His birthday—what a strange par adox—there is no room for Ham. More than this, we have crowded Him out of our homes, do into the average Christian home. What will you find there ? You will find secular books, his tory, travel, fiction, everything but religion. You will see secu lar papers and magazines. You will see secular pictures on the walls. Listen to the conversa tion at tjie tabje and the fire side. It is society and politics and finance and gossip. There is nothing there that even remote ly suggests the thought of a £$ii*SeHs -48ifcfe For Christ,'an many homes, there is “no room in the nurs ery; for the children are not taught to pray; no room in the dining hall, for no blessing is asked over the food; no room in the sleeping quarters. His presence is n^t invoked av; 11. *\ li* down to s!*:f p.” At most as was true in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago, He is as signed to a shabby place in the back where He is not seen. And we have permitted Him to be crowded out of our plans and purposes. When we budget our time and our money so many considerations call for recognition that no place is left for Him. Once the church of which I was pastor was in financial dif ficulties. One disaster after an other had come upon '* it, and there was urgent necessity of an extra offering on the part of all who could give. I went to a well-to-do woman for help. She heard me with gracious courte sy. Her manner was* sympathet ic and kind, but when I had fin ished she told me that her ex penses were so great she could do nothing. One of her friends informed me that she had just spent a large sum for jewelry. She had room for that which would satisfy her vanity and love for personal adornment, but in her scheme of life there was no room for Christ. He had been crowded out. Go back to that night long ago. Who made up that crowd that thronged the inn from which Christ was excluded? They were farmers, and self righteous Pharisees and Roman soldiers, |a Company long ago dead and 'forgotten. They crowd ed the inn while the Lord of Life was born in a stable and cradled in a manger. Do you think if they had known who it was who had come, if they had dreamed that the hopes and fears of all the years were met there that night, that they would not have mrde room for Him? “God was in Christ reconcil ing the world to Himself," WILL BAYS FILM ACTORS Log Angeles, Calif.—(By Jac ob Anderson for ANP)—Will Hays, one of the most impor tant personages in the world of moving pictures, is interested in the problems which face colored actors and actresses who are seeking careers in the films and expresses the feeling that slow ly but definitely, greater ,p-' portunities are opening up for talented folk of color. The dy namic figure who serves as the czar of of the movie industry' chatted with me the other day, our conversation rounding about half a dozen subjects, the pictures, public opinion arid housing being among them. Colored Architect Builds His Homs Housing was especially upon his mind because we were stand-* ing upon the slope of a knoll on top of which his beautiful^ new country home was nearing completion. With us was Paul Williams, the famous young colored architect who is con structing it. This remarkable designer has built residences for so many celebrities in the film colony, that having a home built by Paul Williams is get ting to be a hall mark of dis crimination and good taste out this way. The Hays’ home is located in “Hidden Valley,” one of the most beautiful spots imagina ble, tucked away in the moun tains about forty miles from Hollywood, where some of the greater moving picture mag nates have acquired sites and arg building away from the] mad whirl of Hollywood. A pri*' vate road which us&<ts leads i one to this exclusive spot. I had driven out with Paul Williams., who is erecting another artistic creation which doubtless will add further to his rapidly spreading fame. Paul presented me to Mr. Hays whom I had known slightly. Slander, wiry, intensely ac tive in both mind and body, Mr. Hays led us ■ from point to point, suggesting where he wanted his stables located, pointnig out other improve-, ments, tennis courts and a swimming pool which he planned for the lovely residence which he termed “a little coun try house.” Nearby stood the colored man who was his confi dential employe for many years and who had come on to Cali fornia from Sullivan, Indiana, the Hays’ home. Mr. Hays said this employe had practically had supervision over the rear ing of his son. Just then he was preparing the cornerstone which Mr. Hays was planning to dedi cate with a party the following Saturday night. Praises Bob Church While discussing the future of the Republican Party, of which, as chairman of the Re publican National Committee, he was at one time the directing genius, Mr. Hays recounted his wide acquintance with the po litical problems confronting the race and his long time friend ship of Robert R. (Bob) Church, of Memphis, whom he holds in high esteem and to whom he had entrusted many political assignments of an im portant and confidential nature. “Bob Church could always be depended upon to work for the best interests of his party and his people,” Mr. Hays com mented, “and Church during our long association not only never asked for a penny’s ex pense or compensation for ser vice but contributed himself to ward support of the party’s pro gram.” Aciurs miuung rrogress “You ask about the possibili ties before /colored screen ac-1 tors,” he said, “Happily there gratifying indications of along the type of char tfhlch you desire, of the River,’ Paul i represents an Afnean _n. He angs superbly, presented as a man of ' who dominates this play from beginning Perhaps you know that Boat* is soon to be re with Paul Robeson in the ayed on the £tage, _ d Man River.’ is expected that “Green ' will be the same im drama on the screen ; it was on the stage. The )r who plays the leading Jt on the stage, Charles Win Wood, is, I understand, the choice for the part on the The second choice is re to be 1 Daniel Haynes, of the outstanding Negro tors. ‘Imitation of Life,’ Lou Beavers, who played the t of the mother, really stole picture. The patient, under ' tg way of the Negro with her child was a les veryone. Ea ‘Alice Adams’ we have tie McDaniel playing a high of comedy. This type of edy played by Negroes is ^^COjpized and enjoyed by the Iblic just as white performers :e Zazu Pitts and Pa'tsy Kel-# are enjoyed. Clarence Muse has appeared sq. many character parts his face is as familiar as of an old friend on the In music many orches haye been featured in re outsfanding sing have found places.’ Propaganda for Negfoes i “You know, perhaps, that the work of Tuskegee institute has been presented on the screen in a short subject. “The fact is, of course, that in / presenting entertainment pictures the screen offers a sim ilar variety to that which its found in real lffe. It is fair to state that the type of charac terization which you urge is de finitely on the increase.” “But, Mr. Hays, you have just I expressed the opinion that moving pictures are among the most important educational me diums in the world today. How can Negro Americans take ad vantage of this channel to mold opinion in their favor and to better acquaint (the people of the nation with the worth while contributions which the race has to offer our common coun try,” I asked. i- The 'man whose word rules film-land, paused, looked a bit thoughtful, and then replied: “A way must be found to help the socially-minded lead ers of the Negro race to use the screen in the promotion of bet ter understanding among their people, and to improve the ap preciation and understanding of America,” he said. “What is needed is a continuous process of education similar to that which occupies the attention of many teachers, librarians, di rectors of religious education and other socially-minded civic leaders.” Paul Williams, who had beeni conferring with Mrs. Hays, joined me. We entered his car and I drove back to Los Ange-< les. I with renewed hope that though it might be a long pull before the realization of all, his ambitions, the Negro actor has a friend at court. I Jesus calls us to the pain of making a worthier world, the pain of searching for God in prayer and of living so as ho keep that high fellowship, thf pain of sacrifice of compassion’s altar. “These things have 1 spoken unto you that my joy might be full,” Ondwa,—(By Julius Rosenwald pended $1,689,461 past two years, biennial Review Edwin R. Embree, the Fund. The made in carrying out al and philanthropic the chief of which are Negro welfare, rural education ana meaicai services. Outstanding among these has been the study of Southern tenant farming. In commenting on rural edu cation, Mr. Embree says in the rdport: “During recent decades, when we were hypnotized by industrial prosperity and urban glamour, we ceased to think of trie country except as a place from which to escape. Formalis tic schools were as active as any of the other forces of the past half century in carrying chil dren’s attentions from the country to the city. In fact schools were a kind of sieve ?lur separating the smart from the dull and it was an axiom of the times that the smart would quickly migrate to the citigs, leaving only the dullards to make country life even more dismal and fogey than it had b^en before. The first and great reform in rural schools, there fore, is that education shall di rect itself to the peculiar needs of country children with a view td making them happy and use ful citizens of country life.’ IA Council on Rural Education has beenjgrgamzed by the Ro senwald Jirund. . composed of twenty Hadttt in education and social afiBpg|pchiefiy from the South where tne rural school work is being carried out as continuation of the Fund’s long resent program, however, is ot restricted to Negroes, but dneerns the whole school sys ?ms of rural areas. Important activities of the 'urid and the sums spent on nem during the past two years re: Negro education (includ ig schools, (colleges, and felf >wships) $330,000; Negro ealth, $95,000; race relations nd social studies, $200,000 ; eneral education, $120,000; li rary extension, $100,000; ledical services, $190,000. BUTLER MEMORIAL PRES BYTERIAN CHURCH, SAVANNAH, GA. By Willie N. Gore National Education Week was observed at Butler Memo rial church the week beginning November 18th. Our pastor, Rev. C. H. Richmond, discussed and explained the true value of education, taking his text fror the 13th verse of the 16th chap ter of Matthew. The topic was “Helpful Trend of Education Toward Religion.” Mr. Richmond pointed out how necessary it is to prepare ourselves for instruction to oth ers, which is the duty of a Christian. The thought of the sermon was expressed in the Young People’s Christian En deavor Society, and since the pastors arrival is rapidly devel oping. Among the recent speakers at our church was President B. F. Hubert, of the Georgia State College. In part Mr. Hu bert said: We must appreciate the co-operative efforts of oth er units. He emphasized the fact of being grateful for things that are given us which we do not consider enough to make them beneficia1. Mr. Hubert advised Negroes to become mere business-mind ed ,').d create opportunities for those who have fitted themselves oy hard work and thorough training. On tr ; program with Mr. Hubert was Mr. Washing ton who rendered a solo which vvar, enjoyed by all A uve wire revival was con ducted the week beginning No-i vainer 2oth by LiVaJgc.iftt.Kari cnshop. Mr. .Bishop's soul-sur rmg sermons were wiuiessed by many members and friends. .Sev eral from the white Presbyteri an churches attended. A goodly number of soios and accompani ments by ddferent groups gave ah inspiring ana Christian at mosphere to the services. vf With certain repairs complet we are faitmuiiy wonting nicely succeeding in install-. steam heat. LEGISLATURE VOlKS SCHOLAftottlPS ip**1 Oklahoma City, Okla., Dec. 1$.—A bill providing for the payment of a maximum of $2o0 per school year to colored stu dents m the State of Oklahoma^ wiho are not able to secure col lege ana graduate courses in the schools provided by the State, has been passed by the Oklaho ma Legislature. Oklahoma, by this ietion, joins (Maryland, West Virginia ami Missouri in providing out of llgte tuition. a preliminary exantation of the Oklahoma law seems to in dicate that it is the most gen erous of the four. Thfe Mary land law ha» been called very inadequate; the Missouri law is butter than nothing, but pro vides little more than assist ance; the West Virginia law is the oldest one of the four and has been functioning fairly well, although it«L provisions are not absolutely adequate. Jl TRINI CH l Alth YTERIAN YESVILLE, he weather ement a very a dience came out this 'occasion" our pastor, Rev. H. McPadden, spoke from the text Ephesians 4:1. His theme was “Calling and Con duct.” The speaker spoke of the calling and the obligation and how the obligations of a Chris tian calling are to be satisfied This was a very rich message, and it was an enjoyable day well spent in the service of the King. Mrs. McFadden gathered her little missionary band to gether after the services and posted them of their duties On December 6th Mr. J. T. Jones was with us and organ ized a Teacher Training class. We appreciate the presence of Mr. Jones at all times for we know that he is the right man in the right place. The message brought to us on Sunday morning, December 15th, was based on Matthew 7:12. The pastor spoke about the Golden Rule. Everybody was so well pleased with the message and felt so happy that they are saying that he always gives us food for thought, but this was his best. Mrs. S. S.Rice, of the.Mayes ville Institute, and others of the various churches worshipped with us. C. S. HAMPTON. SOUTHERN METHODIST STUDENTS JOIN N. A. A. C. P. Dallas, Tex., Dec. 13.—Six teen students and members of the faculty of Southern Meth odist University, of this city, attended a mass meeting of the Dallas N. A. A. C. P. branch here recently which was ' ad dressed by Dean William Pick ens, of New York, director of branches for the Association, and all sixteen joined the Dal las branch. Dean Pickens was invited to address the students at Southern Methodist Univer sity, and he also addressed the students in the Southwest So cial Institute. The tour of the Southwest by Dean Pickens and Roscoe Dungee has resulted in a number of white people in Oklahoma and Texas joining branches of the Association.
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Dec. 5, 1935, edition 1
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