CHRIST'S CHALLENGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 59, 11 March 1926, Page 10

CHRIST'S CHALLENGE.

STILL RINGS THROUGH THE WORLD.

A GREAT MODERN EVIL. MAMMON'S GRINDING RULE. "In these council meetings let us by the sought-for help of God determine to seize the present unexampled opening for attacking world evils," said the Rev. W. Saunders, of Dunedin, in his inaugural address this morning at Beresford Street Church, to the delegates who are attending the annual meetings of the Congregational Union, of ■which he is the president for the year.

Mr. S. W. Smeeton, the retiring chairman, in taking farewell spoke of the work of the past year, and eaid be was proud to be associated with such important events as the appointment of a moderator and the establishment of a Congregational magazine.

Mr. Saunders, who was warmly welcomed, chose as the subject of his address: "Christ's Challenge to the World." After an earnest review of the founding of Christianity he went on to show how Christ had triumphed over the evils he challenged, and traced- the fight down through the Dark Ages to our own times. "Looking around," he said, "we hear Christ's challenge still resounding, and see the battle with ■wroage still being waged. We notice with relief that one great phase of the fight, has passed. Christ's challenge in defence of the individual has ended in victory; He is now challenging in defence of the mass." Mr. Saunders pointed out that a great evil, war, had successfully -withstood Christ. Mr. Lloyd George had said pessimistically: "It is little wonder that God gave man up repeatedly in despair. He is unteachable." That statement was marked by an excusable Celtic gloom. Actually God did not despair of bringing peace to men through Christ. Proof of man's progress away from war

was to be seen in the Washington Treaty, the Loenrno Pact, in the growing usefulness of the League of Nations. True the nations were not confessedly moving towards peace as led by Christ. Their banner was expediency; nevertheless even on that banner fell the glory of the Prince of Peace. Mighty Mammon. The unconquared spirit of the world had given rise to an almost entirely modern evil, continued Mr. Saunders. That evil belonged to the present industrial age. It was true that Christ lost not a moment in challenging Mammon. So far from being overthrown, Mammon had now grown to immense size and power. Business had attained cnce un•dreamed of proportions as the result of applied science. In definite antagonism to the best it had. made its watchword "Competitive Selfishness," over against Christ's insistence on "mutual service." The world's economic man was not, never could be, Christ's man.

There was hope of Mammon's eventual defeat in the very extent of his present success. The results of his triumph were city slums, sweating dens, the miseries of the submerged, the wracking anxieties of those on the border-line, the, immoral conditions and fearful discomforts of crowded tenements, the evils, of gathered wealth expended on selfish pleasures, a state of social strife that inclined to civil war. Those results of Mammon's successful opposition to its challenger, Christ, were-filling men's hearts with loathing for Mammon and his triumphs. It must not be hastily thought, however, that Mammon had suffered no defeat. Distinctly through the spirit of Christ, many and great amending laws governing industry had come into being. Conspicuous among them were laws that iad lifted women from coal mines, removed mere children from factories, and that had secured fairer conditions of labour, shorter hours, and more adequate pay for man. Mammon was mighty, but Christ was slowly proving mightier. Mammon's attack and defence were giving signs of crumbling. The day was coming when men and women might no longer be allowed to be made drunk for gain, and when the Empire's might wpμld no longer be found protecting ships in Eum Row, where they waited to deluge a friendly and protesting nation with strong drink. Such ships even now should be with our ready consent captured by force or even incontinently sunk. (Applause.) | Complete Victory. It seemed that Christ's anticipated triumph must come soon, or else our present civilisation would end in ruin. National rivalries were still intense, race hatreds were growing deeper, the clash of colour was becoming more pronounced, a false economic system divided the people into hostile camps. Those things were driving many thoughtful people to ask, not without anxiety, whether a way of deliverance from catastrophe really existed, . even through Christ. Meanwhile, . speaking generally, hope was centring more and more in Him. The poor, the workless, the dwellers, in slums, the war-weary, those embittered by injustice, the countless victims of the , general wrongness, all noble hearts made heavy by failures to right the world, were at last turning their eyes to the Christ who had' been so long overlooked. Mr. Saunders went on to speak of evidence in favour, of his view that the world was turning to Christ. He emphasised the fact that British labour, "so long careless of the churches, is looking admiringly to Christ" Labour meetings in London had broken into cheers for Him; and international conferences of workers had deliberately re:orded their confidence in Him. • The present.time gave an unexampled opening for attacking world evils, and none could be readier of soul than Congregationaliste to support Christ's

challenge, with all the/ ]»»4, fcrtd fill they were. He pointed ©Ut that they were specially suited by the g@»iue o< their order to take ih band tfce werk in support of Chriet'e challenge, "ptv hindered by slow-moving »c«leeiastleal authorities, and untrammelled by tihelastic systems, and unweighted by tU heavy baggage of worn-out creede," s*'»d Mr. Saundere, "it is not for us to b«fei j tate and linger in this momentous hour —much less \n brute ina-tion to browse and sleep."