"MoraL Rearmament"

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

"MoraL Rearmament"

On Religicn

j 11/ITHIN sight of the Jungfrau VV ( 1 3,669 ft) and between the lakes, Brienza on the east and TTiun on the west nestles the beautiful little town of Interlaken ("Between the Lakes"). This Swiss town grew up around the religious house of Austin Canons, which was founded in 11:{»» and which was suppressed in I.V2S. In whatever buildings remain of the old convent, religious services are still held. It was in this place where the Oxford (ironpi-ts recently held a momentous conference on the subject of "Moral Rearmament'* as the greatest need of the twentieth century. Lifting their eyes unto Jungfrau by way of lofty inspiration. and contemplating the placidity of those two lakes, they came together as representatives from 4.'i nations, under the leadership of Dr. Frank Buclunan. to consider, in an atmosphere of courage and prayer, how best they could witness for Christ and religion in this war distracted world. In the event of future war. it is youth who will be called upon to "pay the piper,"' irrespective of who calls the tunc, so surely they should be encouraged to view future possibilities in the light of faith. Disillusionment awaits those who, drifting unintelligently upon the tide of hate that is now at the flood, wait until they are on the rocks of despair before * they take their spiritual bearings. The war between the forces of Cod. and the forces of evil, is now at its height. Reinforcements are needed. It is a war that is being fought on ail international front, and within cverv human soul.. Life-changing decisions have got to be made. We must know where we stand as individuals, for wo cannot dodge the contest. "The real obstacles to peace are human wiil and feeling, human convictions, prejudices and opinions. If we want to get rid of war we must, get rid li;- : t of all of its psychological causes. Onlv wlion this has been done will the rulers of the nations even desire to get rid of the economic and political' causes." r I hese words were not expressed at Interlaken, but by Aldous Huxley in his "Ends and Means." We despair of the nations as such. They are like so many great engines hurtling along their pel inanent ways' with no hands on the throttles. It is with individuals who comprise the nations wherein lies our only hope.

Nations are super-human in power, but sub-human in morality. Acts which the individual will shrink from doing as an individual will be readilv

By--Rev. C. W. Chandler

performed by (lie same individual as a member of the State. The individual is primarily superior to the nation, and because this is so all reforms and revolutions must start "at the periphery and move towards the centre." "Private individuals, either alone or iu groups, must formulate the idea of reform and must popularise it among the masses. hen it has become sufficiently popular, it can be incorporated into the legislation of the community." This conference represented the marshalling of such a group, and the urgency of the occasion, as well as the sincerity of the motives which gave rise to it, are admirably expressed in the following lines by Bremer Hofmevr (.South Africa): — YOUTH'S PROGRAMME I am one of the world's youth. It is we who will die if there is a war We are out to eh.mjre the thinking of nations while is timo. No human diplomacy can avert the ultimate self-destruction of a world built on sell -interest. 1* rum moral chaos to world chaos is onlv n step. want leadership that will sieeept and demand absolute honesty and unselfishness —personally and nationally. Human wisdom alone is inadenuute in lliis complex world. But we have found that God has a prac'"al plan in every situation. We Will follow (he statesman who dares before all else to find that plan. He will be the world's peacemaker. The Church's Opportunity I ho ( hurch is now confronted with the greatest oppoitunity she has ever nad. With a sense of renewed adventure burn of the Spirit, she can guide the courage and enthusiasm of Youth toward the conquest of the world for the Prince ol Peace. Nothing short of world vision will meet the need to-day. The groups have given and still are giving this lead, and on every hand, even in New Zealand, there are unofficial groups of the young "intelligentsia." who meet for the frank discussion of modern problems in relation to the world and religion. In Chnstchureh a group of Toun« clergy , s meeting:, so too in Auckland with its Crusade for Social Justice sending its literature far and wide, as well as similar groups of ministers of the \arious denominations, there are unmis

takable signs of a reawakening in our midst. Ivor are these manifestations unrelated to the lead that the group movement lias given. The Archbishop of Canterbury says that "the Oxford (■roup is the most potent spiritual force in the world to-day. In various countries."' he continues, "even the outlook of statesmen is being altered, giving them a new sense of values and a new conception of policies based upon the m ill of (Jod for the well being of mankind.'' So far as we are concerned locally, it remains for the many outside the Churches to join forces with those inside and so help forward the only movement that can satisfy the world's great need l'or moral rearmament. Xo longer should we be singing that pi eat hymn "like a mighty army moves the Church of Cod'' without tongues in our cheeks. We have a job to do. and never lias it been so near to our hand. Within this generation we have got to triumph, or else bequeath to future generations a legacy of hate that we by the warmth of our enthusiasm have been unable to melt. "If the world is to be saved;' says the Bishop of Ranin a recent issue of the "Church of England Newspaper." "the task of the Church is inspired thinking, creative living, and constructive planning" I here has got to be a revolution, and this revolution must start with a personal experience of the cross of Jesus Christ. Passing from tlienee it must issue foitli iii a fine sense of international 1 e.-ponsibility. In the moral rearmament of the world we must forge new weapons, for in religion, as in chess, the best form of defence is to be found in attack. Our colours must be nailed to the mast. for. as Emerson savs, "God \\ ill not have His work made manifest by cowards." "Xot as minors and invalids m a protected corner, nor as cowards fleeing before a revolution, but aa guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty, we must advance on chaos and the dark." Premonition These echoes of the world's needs, and the encouraging response that is being made, could not be better summed up than by concluding with the substance of what John Middleton Murry has said at the end of bis book. "The -Necessity of Pacifism." The title of the book may be a trifle startling, but Ins findings are sound. He says, in effect, that although we may not be aware of it. we are living in times that can be compared to those when John the Baptist went forth preaching repentance to a world distraught by troubles not less to them then than ace ours innA' S to ' " Th e heart of the Jew, years ago, was gnawed bv a vague premonitory perturbation of 'that, disaster which was accomplished in the siege and sack of Jerusalem, and fhe scattering for ever of the Jewish race. A like premonition gnaws at the soul of contemporary man." The Jewish race failed to realise its hope of establshing the ideal world state under the Kingship of Christ. It has been left to the Christian world to accomplish this ideal. ]f this revolution is to occur, we must rearm, not separating the inward and religious trom the outward and social, but poing forward to achieve the purpose embodied in t.ie teaching of Jesus which, savs ilurr .\'. 'is far more revolutionary than materialistic Socialism." Although the necessity for such a revolution is apparent to' all who think in le tei nis of (Jod and humanitv, there s no guarantee that the necessitv will )C ol, eyed. The European nations mav lave to suffer dispersion as did tinJews. "It is either the revolution of r r us ;„°F a(, iniesence in degradation.'' Ihe C hristianity which kept" the lamp ,117 ,' rni "" Ruling the dark a^es 1. doubtless survive the worst upea\al that can overtake mankind. arms to be sounded. ' f fr . o, L l fi, J Interlaken at the J .L lun « frau such a call is echoing ound the world, summoning Christians o rearm for the light against the f,„v,s >f destruction and greed! Moral rearm;,V.r Il + l , Ca e IP , ad tf> ,naVri nl disarmament. or the final triumph of love must spell ae nnal conquest of fear