LORD BLEDISLOE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20033, 15 September 1930, Page 10

LORD BLEDISLOE.

MESSAGE TO BIBLE CLASSES. THE WORLD TO-DA"*. [THE PRESS Special Service.J WELLINGTON, Soptcmoer 14. "You are said to live in God's Own Country, and if your muscles arc taut and your hearts are clean, and jour eyes are bright and joyful, this ew Zealand of yours will not only be 0 8 Own Country, it will be a beacon 11 6 the Toe II lamp, to guide the nations of the world towards the o Uod's presence and God's blessing. This was part of the Governor-Gen-eral's message to a rally or . 1 ® Class movements, which was held in Town Hall this aiternoon. The bulging was packed to capacity, many peop e being turned away. . "Wo all stand in the ranks ot a great Christian army scattered all ove the world," 'said his Excellency, has its divisions (in more senses an on'e), its brigades, its battalions, i s companies, and its platoons. Unite i stands. Only if it is divided does it threaten to fall, and if it falls civilisation, order, and, indeed, human 1 - ness will crumble and fall with it. We, in New Zealand, although separated m o various companies represented by ditterent denominations with different company commanders and non-commissioned officers belong to one great regiment (may I presume to call it the King s Own). We all have the King of Kinga as our General Officer Commanding. Unseen He is here to-day, giving us His inspiration and His guidance. "We all, too, have, in the Bible, a copy of the King's regulations which describe our several duties. Let there be no dissension in our ranks, no mutual jealousies, no narrowness of outlook, and, above all, no self-righteousness. I wonder if you know the story which was current shortly after the war lam not quite sure I ought to tell 'k~ a story of two padres belonging to different religious communities wlio met behind the lines in Flanders during the war. Of course, I will not venture to disclose to you to what denominations they belonged. One said to the other, 'How splendid to think we can co-oper-ate in advancing the Kingdom of God. The reply of the other was, 'Aye, aye, we are both doing Lord's work. You in your way and I in His.' "We have our foes to fight and our battles to win, but it is only by closing up the ranks, and in the spirit of C ° Ul ' radeship and mutual co-operation that we shall achieve Worldlincss, indifference and, indeed, infidelity are rampant in the world to-day, and, unlike fifty years ago, are unfortunatelyfashionable with the result that oar churches are all too empty. Home lite, which should be the very backbone ot every great nation, is at a discount. Varied amusements, not_ always of the most savoury and edifying description, are eagerly sought after, and an unnatural craving for constant excitement banishes that quietude mind which makes for the truest happiness.