The Ideal Christian Character

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 11, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 10.

The Ideal Christian Character

A WRITER in the New York Observer gives this imaginary description of the man who can do the most good in a community:—

“He must be genial, warm-hearted, generous, cordial, sincere, possessed of a hearty laugh, a keen appreciation of a good joke, and yet earnest, helpful and unselfish.”

Such is said to be the “ideal man” who is “needed in almost every community.” There are good qualifications set forth here, but as an ideal to be set up in a Christian paper, the possession of “a hearty laugh and a keen appreciation of a good joke” rather lowers the standard. It surely does lower the standard set up in the Scriptures, wherein “foolish talking” and “jesting” are especially condemned. See Eph. 5:3-5; also the words of our Saviour, “I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matt. 12:36.