The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 91

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

the world and ring it into our hearts: “God is
love! He loves me too!”

What better assurance of His love could God
have given than the sending of His own beloved
Son into the world to lay down His life for us
miserable, wretched sinners? “In this was mani-
fested the love of God toward us, because that God
sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through Him,” 1 John 4, 9

— ee

A Christmas Festival Near the North Pole.

It was the day before Christmas, some years
ago, when a ship lay ice-bound in the Arctic Ocean.
It had been sent out in search for some traces of
Franklin, the Arctic explorer. But it was held fast
between the ice for so long a time that most of
the crew became discouraged. Provisions were
nearly all gone, one sailor after the other had died,
famine and cold threatened to bring death to them
all; even the bravest were losing heart. With the
crew was the son of a German missionary on Lab-
rador, whom the captain, on his voyage toward the
North Pole, had rescued from a wrecked vessel as
the only survivor. He was always cheerful and was
the favorite of all. Even now he looked into the
dark future with a childlike trust.

On that day before Christmas, the young man
said to one of the ship’s officers, who had also be-
come downhearted, “T’o-morrow is Christmas, and
this Syenng is Christmas Eve. We must cele-
-brate.”

“But where shall we get a tree?” said the: officer
in a sad, doubtful voice.

“Be patient! You shall see,” was the reply.

The young man then went to the captain of the
ship and said, “You know that melancholy has
seized the crew. We must do something to cheer
them up.”

“You? I?” said the captain.

“No; God!” said the young man.

“Poor boy,” said the captain, “God is forsak-
ing us.”

“But He will come back. You must trust Him,”
was the young man’s reply.

He then laid before the captain his plan for a

Christmas celebration. But the captain shook his
head. ‘A Christmas’ tree?” he said; “child’s
play!” but after thinking over the matter a little
while, continued, “Well, the Christmas tree speaks
its own language and calls to mind the happy days

91

of childhood. God bless you, my boy! Get every-
thing ready. I will be with you and speak on the
meaning of the Christmas festival.”

All approved of the plan.’ Only the doctor said
in his cold, dry way, “Yes, the Christmas tree is an
old German custom. It may be very nice. But
what good will it do us?”

At the appointed hour on Christmas Eve, the
officers and the crew entered the rear cabin. There
stood the Christmas tree. I was not really a tree.
How could such be found in that icy desert of the
North? But it looked like a tree. To a stick was
tied some dry grass, or broom, like twigs; a little
moss was the green ornament; gifts from the cap-
tain for his men hung there as fruits; at the top of
the tree shone the ship’s lantern bright like a star.

The captain entered and spoke to his men as
follows : —

“My dear friends, God still lives. The thought
that His love is at an end comes from our unbelief.
It is we that have forgotten to trust, to love, to
hope. But He who came in the holy Christmas
night to suffer and die for our sins cannot forget
us. Of Him we must not believe that He has for-
saken us. Friends, when mist and fog hide the
polar star, we still know that the star is not ex-
tinguished. In the sky of the Christian there is
also a polar star. When misfortune hides it like
a mist, our faith pierces through. ‘Therefore, take
heart! Look aloft! Lift up your hearts! What
God’s- purpose is with us I do not know. But this
I do know: we are in the hands of a loving Father, -
and in all our distress and need we have a Redeemer,
Jesus Christ. Under His banner, the banner of the
cross, we are safe. Under that banner our father-
land is everywhere, joy is everywhere, God is every-
where !”

He then shook hands with each of his men, and
they were happy to press the hand of their dear,
brave captain. Even those who had shaken their
heads at the idea of celebrating Christmas in the
icy field near the North Pole stepped up to the cap-
tain and thanked him for his words of cheer and
comfort. The Christmas festival had given back to
all peace and trust in God. And their trust was
not in vain. Deliverance came at last. They all
got back to their country and saw their homes and
loved ones again.

May the Christmas festival wit its glad tidings
and sweet hymns, may the Christ-child with His
blessed gifts awaken in our hearts new faith and
love, and give us all new courage, new hope!