61/115 SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS By FRANK H. SPRAGUE
Jesus declared: “The hour cometh, and now is, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;” but “the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.” “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.”
“The Almighty dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” Yet we now have edifices, often stately and magnificent, consecrated exclusively to religious purposes; and furthermore, pews in many of them are sold to the highest bidders.
As Jesus recognized no special places of worship, neither did he regard any one day as sacred above others. He treated all days alike, ignoring the Sabbath, and setting at naught its traditional observance. Therefore the Pharisees sought to kill him, because he did “that which it was not lawful to do on the Sabbath day.”
Still today we find men holding virtually the same attitude in setting apart one day in seven as peculiarly sacred, and trying to compel its general observance in a distinctly religious manner. The very idea of violence is exactly contrary to the spirit, example, and precepts of Jesus; yet now, often in the pulpit, war is commended as righteous,
when undertaken with humanitarian intent, under the plea that “the end justifies the means.” But “two wrongs never make a right”; and evil overcome by evil, scatters broadcast seeds that propagate it in men’s hearts and cause it to bear fruit in forms more insidious and dangerous, even though not so malignant, as those that have been suppressed.
The spontaneous, earnest words of Jesus and his followers proceeded directly from hearts and lives devoted to the service of their fellows. Every disciple was a minister. Peter, James and John, plain fishermen of Galilee, Matthew, receiver of customs, and Paul, tent-maker, went about proclaiming the spiritual life and seeking the welfare of others, not their own pecuniary interests or personal gratification.
Theological training was not a necessary requisite for their work; they did not need to learn about truth, for they knew the Truth itself. They never tried to adjust it to their lives, but always allowed their lives to conform to it. What a contrast with much of the religious effort of modern times! How frequently are sermons and homilies judiciously worded and cautiously prepared to please
the not over-spiritual tastes and inclinations of certain influential members of the congregation, upon whose financial support the very church organization sometimes depends! How often are elaborate rituals, ceremonies and other irrelevant features introduced, for the maintenance of which, large sums of money must be raised too often by questionable methods!