If those who have tried to teach her religion
have failed to show her this, then they have succeeded in giving her
only a set of laws to be obeyed or a list of things she should not do.
Love gives to Thou Shalt and Thou Shalt Not _power_ without which they
can accomplish little.
Love transforms hard, disagreeable, empty service and makes it glorious.
No one knows this better than a girl. She has done things when necessity
compelled her to do them, and she has done them when love compelled her
to do them. She knows the difference. Jesus founded His Kingdom on the
knowledge He had of Love. He _knew_ the kingdom would stand. On his
lonely island of banishment dreaming in the twilight, with all the
struggle and attainment behind him Napoleon realized it as he said,
"Caesar, Charlemagne, I, have founded empires. They were founded on
force and have perished. Jesus Christ has founded a kingdom on Love, and
to this day there are millions who would die for Him."
When I say that the religion of girlhood is the religion of Love I mean
real love. Warm, sweet, tender, quick to understand, quick to discern
need, tireless in service. I mean the love that does not wait to be
asked to serve, the love that gives because it must give. When a girl's
religion is filled with this love and rests upon it the girl does not
say, "Well, I suppose if I am a Christian I can't do that.
Pages:
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172