THE MENACE OF WAR

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21081, 5 February 1934, Page 4

THE MENACE OF WAR

MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY A MISUNDERSTOOD MESSAGE "Since the Great War the world has witnessed a wonderful revival of nationalism, resulting in a situation that at the present time causes the fear of war to be widespread amongst the nations," said Pastor James Crawford, speaking at the Church of Christ, St. Albans, last evening. "Unfortunately the terrible experiences of the Great War did not cure the war-makers of their dreadful infatuation for the shedding of blood. The same old pagan philosophies glorifying war are still being taught in Europe, while the belief still holds in many quarters that might is right. The menace of war concerns us all, and in these times of grave uncertainty regarding the international situation a message from Jesus Christ regarding the destinies of nations is of challenging interest. A Warrior Expected. "When Jesus Christ came into the world He came to a nation with strong national aspirations, to a people with a remarkable past, and whose Scriptures justified them in anticipating a still more remarkable future. He came as their Messiah, but He disappointed their national hopes, and passionate desires for freedom and glory. They saw in Him no great military leader descending as King in majesty from the skies, coming to destroy their enemies and exalt them to supremacy over the nations of the earth.

"Christ Himself provides the key to their misunderstanding of Him, when He tells their teachers and leaders that they were making void their own law by teaching for the commandments of God the traditions and commandments of men. Their own traditional interpretations of the prophets had blinded them to much that the prophets had written. They had not fed the fires of national aspiration at the Word of God. They had built up a wrong [conception of their destined great-

ness and glory. Although they knew it not, Christ was loyal to their national need, and to their appointed mission in the world, and He was working the only lines that could lead them to glory. The only true symbol of the greatness of the naton through which all other nations v/ould be blessed was that of the Cross, and its arms must first receive their own Messiah. A Universal Scheme. "That which is of God must be of universal value, therefore Christ restates many of its principles in terms which are universal in their scope, and He emphasises this in the universality of nature. Is He not the Son of Man, the flower of all humanity, this Messiah of Israel? The Kingdom of God's relationship to the individual through the Cross of Christ has only emphasised the fact that that which once had a manifestation within geographical limitations is destined for universal dominion.

"We think of our national attitude towards the worship and service of God, towards the evangelisation of the world, towards social justice and mercy within our boundaries, and our attitude as a nation in the present crisis regarding war. There is much to encourage us to believe in ourselves as dedicated to God's service. There is also much to cause us to awaken from false security, and see that we are doing our part .to produce in the life of the community and the nation that recognition of righteousness in all our human relationships, which will bring us by the law of affinity into identification with the Kingdom of God, and the favourable working out of this principle enunciated by the Judge of the Nations."