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Show oo CAPTURE OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM When the British army marched into Jerusalem, more than one Christian Chris-tian soldier must have felt an Inspiration Inspi-ration which had its inception in the ' prayers learned at mother's knees. ( To the Christian world, outside the 1 central powers, this victory will be accepted ac-cepted as exceeding In importance of sentiment attached, any triumph of' the war. For the first time In 673 years, the scenes of the crucifixion of Christ are in possession of a Christian nation, and the coming Christmas day will be the first celebrated in Jerusalem, without the let or hindrance of the Turks, with one exception, since the crusaders in 1099 temporarily broke the rule of the sultan. Today English, Welsh, Scotch, and Irish troops are tramping over the hills where Christ delivered his sermons; ser-mons; they are walking across the Valley of Jehoshaphat to the Garden of Guthsemane and up the Mount of Olives; they are recalling the Biblical stories and tracing the footsteps of the lowly Nazarene. The experience must bring a thrill to those of the soldiers who are deeply religious. On Christmas day a chorus of British Brit-ish voices will sing "The Holy City" - and if the whole Christian world could see and hear the services, there would be general rejoicing. Jerusalem had an experience somewhat some-what similar to that of Noyon, In France. In 597 B. C, Babylon captured cap-tured the place, sacked it and deported the elite of the population, and the people were held in exile for 61 years. The girls of Noyon and the male inhabitants in-habitants were forced into slavery by the Germans in 1916. So in more wayf than one, Jerusalem centers our thoughts on the present war. The holy city has a wall of hewn stone two ancl one-half miles in circumference. cir-cumference. A leader of the dominant church of Utah has predicted that when the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt, re-built, the day of accounting will be near at hand. With the Christians at last in control, there will be a restoring restor-ing of the importance of the city, and then great bodies of Christians will begin to look for the signs In the heavens. |
