Why so Potent.

Mr. Kilroy discussed possible rationalist theories as to the reason for the distinction in religion awarded by Christian society to the Passion. That pity for the sufferer would establish this, suggests that the symbol might better be a cup of hemlock. That fancy was over-powerful in the minds of the saddened disciples is plausible but scarcely watertight. The impressiveness of the Cross is a miracle in itself. The Crucifixion, the symbol of degradation in the contemporary mind, becomes the symbol of triumph. Some potency, some clue (not necessarily rational), is inevitable.

The speaker illustrated how, through the warp and woof of social advancement, runs the red thread of suffering and sacrifice. In the Supreme Example, God offered these for the good of humanity—not a degenerate static, but a vital dynamic!