RESTLESSNESS AND REST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

RESTLESSNESS AND REST.

In the course of a sermon preached at Lvndhurst Congregational Church by the Rev. John Short, M.A., Ph.D., on "Restlessness and Rest," the preacher earn ita restlessness was not to be deprecate • There was a type of unrest that worked for the salvation of souls, and there was a kind' of rest that was related to stagnation and decay. Unrest might be the precursor of healing. Mr. Short said they living in a restless, feverish ago, i"J 0 was g°pd to know the causes of . such restlessness. He pointed out that its rear+v^ ttß Tcsult of the war and SenSSr," 8 ' ai lf h& BOTtle timea felt this s. tt,e tr, and necessary, tiness there - JT 6 revival general tban any vet , . modern times. Another lessnesa wa* duej* advancescience. > We have,. ho .aid, "gained great victories in the realm o{ Nature that have not been balanced by corresponding victories in the realm of human

will, in the realm of the spirit. Now it is true, of political history, it is true of world politics, it is true of individual lives,, that, where the human intellect gets ahead of the human will, that individual, that, that civilisation is heading straight for destruction and for decay. Science gave us wonderful powers over Nature, but just because our wills were not consecrated to their use men were blown to atoms and Europe was plunged into blood. And then, as a result of this advance of science, new luxuries have come into our lives. The advance of science has given rise to these, and lusts and zests, have been stimulated, and, to say the least of .them, they are abnormal. Why, we are beginning to think that increase of speed is the mark of rea progress! It ony means that we are moving faster;, it does not mean that -we have enriched or.. deepened our personalties or made them more fit for the great tasks God has laid upon, the human soul. Perhaps our increase of speed is being secured at the price of the mental repose necessary for the wellbeing of our souls. Men seem to me to be divided into two classes nowadays; 1 one class tramps and the other class, tourists. They are'all on the move,, as if an avenging spirit were pursuing them. They have no time for rest, for repose, for that clearing of the jungle that is necessary if men are to see the stars and breathe the fresh air of God's open

: spaces. ' "Another cause of the restlessness of ! modern times is the pathetic absence of : home life. One thing the older genera- ' tion can thank God for is that the home' ! was a real factor in their lives, but that 1 is fading out to-day, and that itself is ■ due to many causes. It is sometimes i due to the lack of decent houses. Wg ! try to house men\ where we would not f house dogs and expect them to be good dogs, and as a result there is a great restlessness in the world to-day. "Then I think another cause of unrest 1 is the prevailing economic theory of wealth. The Church has to take account ; of. economic theories to-day. The prevailing economic theory of wealth is a prolific cause of unrest. It has just created an upheaval in our own political i system, it has created a great upheaval in at least one European country, and it is going to create more upheavals until we deal with the economic situation in Christian fashion. You cannot expect men to be at rest or at peace when the economic system is like pyramid, with the few at the top enjoying inordinate luxury and the many at the bottom living Id poverty, not knowing where their next, copper is to come from. We base our economic theory on the idea that self-interest is the best motive for successful business life." '