The Pulpit Speaks: April 18,1959

An article written by my father, the Rev. C. Thomas Paige, as it appeared in the Tri-State Defender on the date shown.

As of now, we are nearly 2,000 years removed from the birth of Christ. In fact, for all this time, we have been living under the influence of Christ. In the homes, churches, schools and wherever we have found ourselves, there has been a constant reminder that Jesus is somewhere present. It is at this point that one begins to wonder: what has access to the life of Jesus meant to us? The world is filled with evil aspects in all areas. Prejudice, hatred, greed, malice and suspicion face us every day. The bad part of the whole thing is wrapped up in the fact that these things are constantly mounting.

One fact that stares us in the face today is the amount of suspicion everyone holds for everyone else. At every point, each of us  is held in the highest type of suspicion – someone standing on the sidelines knows exactly what you are planning to do on every move you make. The tragic thing about this is that, for the most part, the one making the appraisal never thinks in terms of the good that you may be planning, only the evil. What a great thing it would be if sometimes, now and again, we could suspect some of the actions were for good instead of always bad.

This brings me to the main thought for this week: Paul writing to Titus says, “To the pure all things are pure.” If this is true, am I to believe that all of the people whom I hear constantly berating someone else is based upon the fact that their own minds are so polluted and defiled to the point that they can see only evil on the part of all? What a great world this would be if all of our minds were pure. What a wonderful time all of us could have if all of our actions were so looked upon that people would always think in terms of us going good! But the tragic thing is that we are not made up like that.

Many of us – too many of us – spend a lifetime digging pitfalls for others. Some of us lack the nerve to dig actual pitfalls so we resort to digging verbal pitfalls. We always judge the actions of others in light of what we would be doing if we were in their place. With this in mind, we can never think of a man talking to a woman other than on the lowest level. We can never think in terms of someone being a good samaritan; rather, he always has to be having some ulterior motive in all that he does.

I fully realize that when one moves to the places that he starts trying to pin down motives, he moves on dangerous ground. But dangerous or not, we must start thinking in terms of someone doing the good, constructive and higher things in life.

I wonder if some of us don’t stop and think what we say and do are rather fair pictures of how we think. The very fact that people are seen talking together is no evidence that they are “up to something.” The very fact that some people are friends is no evidence that they must be up to some ungodly acts. The fact that people like the same books, amusements and the like is no reason to think they are engaged in things that are indecent. We line in a world where people have forgotten to think purely and justly. This is one of the weaknesses of our day and time.

Yes, 2,000 years have passed. 2,000 years of intellectualism. materialism, economics and all forms of government that have tried to make the man on the street a little better. But in the absence of a real spirit of Jesus, we have failed to accomplish the job that God would have us do. The job before us is a job of men of pure hearts. Pure works can come only from those men who have pure hearts. Only in proportion that people’s motives are high and noble will we be able to change the conditions of our world.

Once again we must turn to the words of Paul, “Unto the pure all things are pure.” At this point, all of us should try to be pure, for it is in being pure that we are able to accomplish and achieve the most. The purity of life must be important to all of us. We must see in terms of purity, act in terms of purity, and achieve in terms of purity.

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