God is not in a hurry, and I am." "If my scheme is not sufficient to redeem society," said a labor leader not long ago, "what is yours?" as tho every self-respecting man must have some panacea of social salvation. The fact is, however, that a time like ours, whose symptoms are so complex and serious, is no time for social panaceas. As one of the most observant of American students of society has remarked: "When I hear a man bring forward a solution of the social question, I move to adjourn." Jesus proposes no surgical operation which at one stroke can save the world. He offers no assurance that the tares of the world shall be exterminated by one sweep of the scythe. He adds faith to patience.—Francis Greenwood Peabody, "Proceedings of the Religious Education Association," 1904.
(1548)
IMPERFECTION IN NATURE
It is constantly felt by thoughtful minds that nothing is complete in this universe. We wait for perfection and can not know it in this life or in this world.
In the world of flowers there are three
primary colors, of which many broken
shades form a countless number of secondary
tints. But the scientific botanist points out a
remarkable fact: many flowers are of compound
colors. Some are red and blue; some
are red and yellow; some are blue and yellow;
but there never has been such a thing
as a plant whose flowers burst into all three
of the primary tints. Roses are red in
various shades, and yellow also in many
shades. But that is all; no florist has ever
been able to produce a really blue rose.
The same fact applies to the chrysanthemum;
it may be red in some shade or other, or it
may be yellow in a whole range of alternative
tints; but the vain dream of the Japanese
is to find the fabled "blue chrysanthemum."
A great fortune would await any one who
could produce by his art a blue rose or a
blue chrysanthemum. Nature denies to
flowers the ability to range through the
whole gamut of the colors of the rainbow.
(1549)
IMPERFECTION, MAN'S
Upon all man's works we write one word—imperfect.
Full as our world is of the
beautiful and the useful, it also holds much
of immaturity, wreckage and failure. The
scientist insists that there is not one perfect
leaf in the forest, not a red rose but holds
some blemish, not a cluster or bunch but
has suffered some injury. The winters chill
the roots, untimely frosts bite the seed, rude
storms strain the boughs. What Nature offers
man is not perfection, but enough of
use and beauty to satisfy to-day's hunger,
and to allure man to something better.
Dwelling, therefore, under skies that oft
are unfriendly, we perceive that even man's
best work shares in imperfection. His trains
jump the track, his bridges break, his ships
sink, rust destroys his tools, fire smites his
factories, epidemics shorten his life. His
fine arts are elective, representing the selection
of the best elements carried up to the
ideal conditions, and yet even man's arts
represent many forms of injury. All the
treasure-houses of the world fail to show
one statue that is perfect. The Winged Victory
is without a head, the Venus di Milo
is without arms, the Minerva has a black
stain on the forehead, while only the torso
of Jupiter remains, all else having gone.—N.
D. Hillis.
(1550)
Imperfection, Value of—See Diverse Influences.
IMPERFECTIONS CORRECTED
Some years ago I visited Albany, N. Y.,
when the Capitol was not finished. I saw
men at work, apparently, removing stones
from the wall on one side. When I asked
about it, a workman said: "When that wall
was erected they were unable to get granite
of the right quality and color to complete
the architect's design. In order that the
work might not be delayed, some blocks of
wood were used temporarily. Now they have
the quality and color of granite required,
and are taking out those wooden blocks and
replacing them with granite." The Capitol
was being built up, after the fashion of the
architect's ideal.
So it is today with us. In the temple, our character, which is His dwelling-place, there are faulty stones. As we come to a clearer knowledge of the person of Jesus we perceive these imperfections and replace them with alabaster hewn from the Rock of Ages, "carved as the angels carved their crowns in the fadeless days of June." If we are living up to the requirements of our profession, we are thus being built up in Him, continually approaching the ideal of the Master architect. (Text.)—H. G. Furbay.
(1551)
