THE TROUBLES OF MANKIND

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23478, 5 November 1941, Page 3

THE TROUBLES OF MANKIND

SPIRITUAL REMEDY . NEEDED

MEW OF MODERATOR OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

(P.A.)- TIMARU, November 4. “Mankind is suffering from a spiritual malady which can be cured only by spiritual remedies. Deflection from God and disobedience to His laws have created the present crisis,” said the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, the Rt. Rev. John Davie, of Masterton, in an address to the Asr sembly in Chalmers Church, Timaru, to-night. . j . For a number of reasons the church had allowed herself to slacken her confident assurance in the. cardinal facts of God’s plan, with the result that she had called unbelievers to salvation with an uncertain, unconvincing voice. Among people material good had become the supreme objective, and the end had been a war more allembracing, destructive, and appalling than the last. War was not the cause of our crisis. It was but the inevitable outcome of man’s manner of Wo- “ To-day the very existence of Christianity is threatened,” said the Moderator. ( ‘The forces of evil, reinforced ■with‘all the weapons modern science and 'devilry can devise are marshalled to crush and annihilate the choicest products of countless ages of human upstriving. The whole of mankind is engaged in this titanic struggle; Iheie can be no spectators; the issue is life or death. The burden to save the wdrld is placed upon the shoulders ot every organisation, nay upon every individual. A programme indicating the wav out from total devastation has been formulated by Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt, but such a programme is a dead thing until it is put into operation and energised with a spiritual dynamic. Church’s Opportunity

“This provides the Church’s opportunity. She is on her own ground when she sets herself to give a spiritual contribution. But alas the Church has lost her vitality. Her lack of_! spiritual vigour, her uncertainty and hesitancy, her lack of concerted action and unified control, her lost gift of leadership, make her an impotent spectator at the moment when God has given her the greatest opportunity she nas “The magnitude of the task ahead of manidnrS welf make the stoutest hearts quake. Everywhere outside Nazidom, world leaders are looking to the Church for spiritual leadership and dynamic at the .moment of her greatestimpotence. Bad as the situation is, it is not hopeless, for God concerned about the salvation of the world. However man; may fail, however the Church may disappoint her Master, God’s purpose both for man and the Church shall not be frustrated. Because Christ is in His Church she will-rise again and with conquering power become the medium of His love and life, and the champion of His laws. Opr Presbyterian Church, because of her democratic form of government,. her virile moral teaching and the care taken in the training of her, ministers should be in a position to contribute, fully to the great forward, movement that.must take place,if the best in our civilisation is to survive. The First Move t “I am convinced that the first move must be taken by the ministers, Bible class leaders, Sunday school teachers, and all active Christian workers. We must put more abandon into our con-r .secration and service. . We must revive the drooping spiritual life of chUrch members. Christians are too self-centred and their service, too reluctant. There is too much security seeking, cowardly escapism;'our symbol is the cross, which means sacrifice, a love Hurt gives artd gives because there is no other way to 1 save the world. , "When we have put our own house in order we will be in a position to provide the atmosphere and environment for the men who will be'returning from the upsetting experience of war. After the last war the/Church and the returned soldiers failed to get together; both were out to improve the conditions of life,' but they failed to get together and the cause of peace was lost. This-time that catastrophe

must be avoided, and now is the time to begin our planning. “The Church must co-operate with; all men of goodwill in the rehabilitation of the returned men.” ' Church Attendance Commenting that only ,21.8 per cent, of the Presbyterians in New Zealand attended places of worship, the Moderator said if that proportion held for other denominations there was,a very serious problem awaiting solution by-, church leaders. “We are told,” he continued, “that Hitler made himself the head .of modern Germany, with all its bloodthirsty ambition for world conquest, by capturing the youth move-, ment of Germany. He has ■ done mighty things, almost conquered Europe, But he left God out of his reckoning and because he did he is doomed to failure. '"'Let us learn from bis mis-* take. Let us have a plan to teaclu and save our young people and be diligent in advancing it. Let us teach; them that the only hope of the : world’s future is to have. God'as. the foundation 'on which we build; that without-obe-dience to r His laws no'nation- can live, prosper and have peace, “The conflict to-day is ho ordinary war,” the Moderator concluded. “Prim cipalities, powers, and wickedness in: high places are marshalled against God and His Christ, Into this conflict the Church has been called; as-part oL the church catholic this is our task, hut we cannot do it alone. We must , dose our ranks and co-operate with other denominations in the struggle which means life or death! The time for/parleying is past; this is the day for ac- v tion. Let us rededicate ourselves and arise to lead the people, by the grace; of God, into the promised land where;: in obedience to His will they, shall cease from strife and war.” ; Diseases Notified.—lnfectious dis-: eases notified in the Canterbury, health district last week included'one. case of tuberculosis, one of erysipelas and-one of puerperal fever.. There was one. death from tuberculosis. No'cases, werenotified -lor..the :West-Coast, .. v-, -