Glimpses of Truth

Standing by the Door

Daily I grow older.  Hopefully, I grow wiser.  Yet I’m often reminded of the things I don’t know and the things I need more wisdom about.  Now I have a choice to make when the reminders come my way.  Do I stay set in my old ways, my old knowledge, my old attitudes, my old insights, or am I looking for “Glimpses of Truth” that might bring me to new heights, new principles, new opportunities.  Personally, I’m looking for new opportunities that the “God Who changes not” has for me.  I want to expect great things from God and even attempt great things for God.  If I could do this, if we would do this, we would accomplish much more than growing older.

Could not this year be an opportunity for each of us?  The opportunities are endless.  Aren’t there needs in the lives of family, friends, neighbors, and those whom God allows to cross our path?  What will we do with all the folks?  Can we help them?  Should we attempt to make a difference?  What is our responsibility with this hopeful wisdom we are obtaining with all these years?

On page 680 of the hymnal used at the Mission, we find an essay titled, “Can This World Be Fed?”  The author of this piece is Mr. W. Stanley Mooneyham.

    Can this World Be Fed?

Everything I know and understand causes me to come down on the optimistic
side of this question.  It can be done.

Not easily.  Not inexpensively.  Certainly not without some changes.  But it can be done. 

It is not the way that is lacking.  It is the will.  The more you understand
about basic causes of hunger in the world today, the more you cannot
avoid the conclusion that God has given man and the earth the capacity
to conquer and control it.

If we treated all humanity with the dignity and love they are due as the offspring of God, if we acted toward our environment as its caretakers and not its ravishers, if we viewed the mandate to “tend and dress” the earth as the Creator’s orders to us, men could live together in peace and the earth would bring forth its abundance.

  THAT WAS GOD’S PLAN.

Anything short of that is the result of man’s sin—his sin against God, against his fellow man, against his environment.

  It is history.              And it is prophecy.

…If we have the capacity to relieve suffering and save life—and we do—and refuse to do it, that will undoubtedly be a part of our judgment.

So Mr. Mooneyham has something to say to meet a physical need.

Samuel Shoemaker’s poem, “I Stand By the Door,” describes our responsibility to others around us.

I Stand By the Door

I stand by the door.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too for out,
The door is the most important door in the world—
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There’s no use my going way inside, and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where a door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands;
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it . . .
   So I stand by the door.

Mr. Shoemaker takes us a little farther with this wisdom of ours.  It’s the whole man that needs help.  Oh, God, give us some “Glimpses of Truth” so we can stand by the door!