I'm Coming Home lor Chriiltmas

Bv Jack Dionne

We uEed io remcrk in our cyniccl American lcshion tbct "the grcndest words ol longue or pen cre 'enclosed Iind check."' Thci remark hag been quoled cnd printed innumercble timee, clwqys with c chuckle crt its wisdom.

No more. The bltrck horror ol this world wcrr hcs blcrated our aqrcqsm lrorn ua, cnd plcrced in itg gtead nore humqn things. In the lcce ol guch stcnk trcgedy ca we aee qbout us everyrwhere, Truth rises to the surlace, cnd lallg uncghcmed fron our lips. We htrve REAL things lo concern ua nour. The hecrrt ol mcrn is his perpelucl kingdom, cnd lhe clore-upe ol wcr hcve brought to lhe surlqce our nobler ambitiong.

My lriend, Frcnl Wherriti, hit the icrckpot c yecr cgo when, in hie Christmce greetings to his triendg he qrole: "The greateEt messcge ever written is-'I'M COMING HOME FOB CIIRISITIVIAS."' k there q Erclr or wotrrcn in this lcnd who will discgree, todcy?

As this ig writteu millions ol our linest Americca boya, torn by the stern bcnd ol wcr from tbeir hom,es, their loved ones, cnd the lives they loved to tive, cre gccrltered over all the contineats cnd upon cll the Seven Seca Iighting the decdliest fighi thct humqn history hcrs cay record of, And it eccb of them wcs crsled what bis detrregt wish is ct thig moment, don't you know thct they would sponlqneously cnd unqnimously ehout-

And their loved ones here ct home, those wives cnd mothers, lcthers cnd brolherg, sisters cnd sweethearls, don't you know thct there comes continuclly lrorn hecrts to lips this lervent prcyer-

Yeg, thcrt is the inEtinciive prcryer thct swells in mighiy volume lrom thege millions oI yecrning souls to the ihrone ol God on High ct thia pre-Chrislmca aecson lrom our wighlul cnd prcyertut Americqn people.

We crre oboui to commemorcte lhe cnnivergcry ol the birth ol one tesus Chriat. Might not this be c rigbt time to thinL o bit qbout whct He woufd do oa this occcgion, iudging horr His words cs relqted in the Book ol Bookg? Hcrve you lorgotten thct He gaid:

"Wbcrt things soever y€ desire when ye pray, believe thcrt ye receive them cnd ye shcrll hcve them." .[nd cgcin He gcid thct il a mcn shcll prcy "cnd shcll not doubt in hig hecril," thct which he prcys lor he ghcll hove, Why not try it out lor Chrislntrs? Looks to me like il ltre wcs worth mcrHng all thiB Christmcrs luss over, some giock might well be tqken in His promises-in His gfucrcnt€es. He wasn'i mcking politiccl ccrmpcigrn pronises. IIe wcs tclkiag to the goul oI the world in no uncertcin terms.

Why not agk Him to Eend thqt boy home lor Chrietmcs-or cE soon clter cs He ccn spcre him from the work he is doing lor Him? And why not cgk it in the humble lcith suggested in the cbove quoted words? tI tbere is one cppcrent weqknesg in our wcr eflort it ig lack oI humble, spiritual lcith,' gomething mirsing fron the deep reverence qnd dependence upon ihe power ol Good thct our lorelqtherg hcd. It seerna to me thct Wcsbington, Lincoln, Lee cnd others were much more inclined to turtl the bigrgest pcrt ol the war iob over to God in the |inn conviction that He would look crlter things, while gmall k1' humcrus just do their best and lecve the reei to Him.

Yes sir, it seems jurt plcin common sense lo qsaume that il legus Christ were entitled to cll the lusE cnd lurore lhct will be mcde over his birthdcy in the next couple ol weeLg, some liitle dependence might be plcrced iu His most sccred promises.

Mcrybe He'll send thcrt boy home lor Chrislmce iI you csk Him right. It'e worth trying, cayhow.