Atlanta Daily World

The Pulpit Voice
BY ASSOCIATED NEGRO PRESS

Editor's Note: Rev. Hamilton T. Boswell, who authors this weekly column, is ill at his San Francisco home and will be unable to resume his writings for at least a month.

GOD'S GREAT GIFT TO US
BY BISHOP J. W. E. BOWEN
(Reprint from the Christian Recorder)

Amid the paganism of our customary celebration of Christmas when the stores push and experience their largest sales of the year in expensive articles and the convivial folk put on their biggest drinking, and the automobiles do their greatest killing, the saving remnant of humanity living in nominally Christian lands may turn their thoughts to the birth of Christ.

In our rush of giving and receiving and exchanging gifts, one may take out a moment of time to recall that Christ received some gifts while a new-born infant, but more important, that he brought gifts.

Just to enumerate rapidly a few gifts he brought to the world: there was the gift of salvation "For he shall save his people from their sins"-not from sin in general but definite, particular sins: lying, stealing, hating, murdering, gluttony, lasciviousness and a whole host of others. People can, by faith in Christ, be saved from these sins.

Again, he brought with him the abundant life-"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly"-full, rich, soul-enriching life.

He came to bring eternal life "That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him . . . I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."

And finally, we can remember that Christ is himself the great gift of God to us. He brought unnumbered gifts to us because he himself is The Gift. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son."

Perhaps the religious people can gain a little renewed strength and hope, and experience a little more tenderness, love, good will and sympathy by meditating during the Christmas season on the great gift of God to all mankind.