JUST before the recent Easter season, great preparations were made by various classes of society to celebrate the advent of Good Friday with becoming ceremonies. Accordingly, in some parts of California, throngs led by church pastors climbed the highest neighboring hills before daylight, to greet the first rays of the rising sun. With the first struggling gleams of light shining through the mists of the distant horizon, the crowd dropped upon their knees, with faces toward the orb of day, and joined in hymns of praise.
SUPERSTITION OR WORSHIP
Was this superstition, or was there in it genuine worship of Jehovah? A guess that a large portion of those so gathered, went through the ceremony according to instruction, without any particular thought of devotion, would not be far from the mark. Reformers of the sixteenth century would have scorned such ceremonies, because they knew too well that the origin of such an attitude was in paganism.
One may say, O, well, this is altogether different from pagan sun worship; it is simply a form by which to worship the Lord of glory. Then why go to the top of a hill so early in the morning to perform the ceremony? And after arriving there, why await the appearance of the sun before beginning the observance, and then go through it with the face toward the sun? Again, if that is a proper form of worship, why delay it for a whole year, when there are so many sunny mornings throughout the passing seasons?
ZULU WOMEN GRINDING CORN
The fact is, in such performances, the church harks back to the days of dark superstition, when sight, instead of Biblical faith, was the basis of worship. Indeed, so strongly426has the religious world begun to lean toward the externals of ancient days, that in the absence of these, very few care to take part in even the formalities of religion. A certain measure of dry rot has eaten the vitals out of the church, until little sympathy for its external forms is shown by the world.
NO DRINKING ON GOOD FRIDAY
Indeed, it was reported in the San Francisco Call of March 31 last, that in that city by the Golden Gate, so strong was the endeavor to have Good Friday decently recognized, according to church ideas, that the Police Commission of that exhibition municipality issued an order forbidding the hilarity commonly indulged in liquor resorts during Good Friday. But here is the reported order. It only need be read to see how ready civil power is to enforce supposed Christian ordinances:
“POLICE BAR GOOD FRIDAY DANCING IN CAFE, HOTEL
“No dancing will be permitted in cafes, hotels, or other places where liquor is sold, on the evening of Good Friday. This order was made to owners to-day by the Police Commission. Failure to comply with the instructions will result in revocation of dancing privileges. This is the first time in San Francisco that the Police Commission has lent its aid in the support of Good Friday observance.”
J. O. C.
