THE MAKING OF PEACE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21707, 14 February 1936, Page 10

THE MAKING OF PEACE

Church “Should Lead The World”

YOUTH’S NEED OF GUIDANCE

Asserting that the making of peace is one of the essential creative tasks of the Christian Church, the Rev. E. P. Blamires, in his presidential address last night at the opening in Christchurch of the annual conference of the New Zealand Methodist Church, urged that in this matter the church, having first sought to learn the mind of Christ therein, should be prepared to give a lead to the world, and guidance in particular to youth. The church, said Mr Blamires, must face Up to the world’s challenge to prove that in Christianity is possessed, as it claimed, 'a solution to all problems, including that of war. Quoting Sir Philip ’ Gibbs • concerning the church’s power, as the strongest organised moral force in the world to prevent future wars if she so willed, the speaker claimed that the trend of recent events in the political, sphere indicated some progress in the desired direction—progress which would have been impossible but for the influence of Christianity expressed through statesmen. These events, he said, foreshadowed a new day in international relationships, and went far to discredit the foolish and fatalistic doctrine of the inevitability of war. Lack of United Front Yet it must be confessed that progress was retarded because the church had failed to present a united front to war. Divided denominations were only part of the malady, which was rooted in the lack of the spirit of fellowship and love in everyday personal relationships—a condition characterising a secularised and selfish civilisation. Forgetful of that precept of mutual love enjoined by the Master as the badge of Christian discipleship, most of them had made an amalgam of religion with attitudes of prejudice and self-interest, after the fashion of this world. “We must squarely face the fact,” said Mr Blamires, “that in our attitude to military defence and pacifism we are divided. We are not divided in our desire for peace. But regarding the way to peace there is a cleavage.” He urged that while not allowing differences of opinion on the question—opinion strongly and sincerely held on both sides —to affect the continuance of mutual regard among fel-low-Christians, the church must nevertheless not rest content with divided counsels, or think that divergent lines of action in the matter could together represent i’he mind of Christ. They must all think through these problems, and their praying and living must keep pace with their thinking, until corporately, as a church, they knew the mind of their Lord better than at present. Symbols of War As lovers and makers of peace, might they not without delay do much to change the mind of the country, in directions where at present symbols of war were taken to represent ihe glory of the nation? In celebrating th; silver jubilee of their late beloved King, for example, was it worthy to assemble 50,000 children at Aldershot to witness a military pageant with picturesque uniforms? And might they, not hope, further,' that future royal visits overseas would not require the accompaniment of a warship? Would it not also be possible henceforth for all Christians conscientiously believing in defence measures to indicate in some way that they did so only as a.iAßtter of reluctant necessity, with repugnance. and as taking up a cross of shame that mankind had not long since shed the anachronism of war, and longing for the day to come when all national symbols taken from engines of destruction and death should be put far out of sight? The whole problem, said Mr Blamires, was in a very vital sense a problem for youth, to whom the church owed not only guidance, but trust and co-operation. For youth the world over, in its confusion and perplexity, was asking questions about this matter more frequently than about any other. Guidance of youth by the church did not necessarily mean imposing the ideas of age upon youth. They must trust their youth; for what youth lacked in experience it often made up in clear-eyed vision. In any matter where the old tradition had failed, and drastic changes were needed, youth had a most valuable contribution to make. In the view of some responsible church leaders, indeed, youth was considered to be ahead of the average opinion of the Christian churches in its international thinking, and its determination to abolish war. Convictions of Youth Stating that while probably the majority of youth in the church who had reached the stage of having convictions were of pacifist opinion, a sti’ong minority nevertheless stood for military defence. Mr Blamires said: “Personally, I must declare myself a pacifist, but not to the extent of refusing non-combatant service. Yet I appreciate the whole-heartedness of those who would rather suffer and die than touch the military machine at any point.” When a church declared unanimously that war was a sin and a crime, and then found it necessary to resort to it in certain circumstances, it need not perhaps occasion surprise if unsophisticated youth, impatient of compromise, could see only one way open. Realists. Mr Blamires said in conclusion, found it hard to be patient with those whom they called idealists, but he sometimes wondered if the biggest mistake made in the church was not the failure to recognise that the Sermon on the Mount was the only realism.