Character and Conduct – 23 September – Religion in Daily Life

IF WE want to get religion into life, or anything whatever in us into life, we are bound to have no contentment, no rest, no dreaming, no delays, till we get thought into shape, feeling into labour, some conviction, some belief, some idea, into form without us, among the world of men.   This is the main principle, and it applies to every sphere of human effort.   So much for the habit whereby we gain power to bring religion into daily life.

Righteousness, shaped from within to without in the world of men, is justice, and the doing of justice.   This is the first need of commonwealths, the first duty of individuals, and the practical religion of both.   A still higher form into which we may put our religion in life is in doing the things which belong to love; and love is the higher form because it secures justice.   These are the things we should shape into life because we love them.   To be faithful always to that which we believe to be true;  to be faithful to our principles and our conscience when trial comes, or when we are tempted to sacrifice them for place or pelf;  to be faithful to our given word;  to keep our promises when we might win favour by eluding or breaking them;  to cling to intellectual as well as to moral truth;  to so live among men that they may know where we are;  to fly our flag in the storm as well as in the calm.   It is to pass by with contempt the dark cavern where men worship Mammon;  to fix our thought and effort on the attainment of righteousness in public and in private homes, to have the courage to attempt what seems impossible through love of the ideals of truth and beauty, and to prefer to die on the field of work and self-devotion rather than to live in idleness and luxury.

STOPFORD BROOKE

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These quotes are from ‘Character and Conduct’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1905 as a follow up to her volume of Daily Readings for members of the Being and Doing Guild who asked for an additional volume

In her preface Whishaw writes:

‘This collection of noble thoughts expressed by men and women of past and present ages who have endeavoured to leave the world a little better than they found it.’

It is my hope in publishing them here readers may be inspired to imitate the example of the authors.