MILLIONS FOR WAR BUT LITTLE FOR SOULS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 285, 29 August 1935, Page 10

MILLIONS FOR WAR BUT LITTLE FOR SOULS

Our “Impoverished” Land

ADDRESS BY BISHOP HILLIARD •■if war were to break out to-morrow we would immediately get the money to finance it. This •impoverished’ country would pour out its millions for the slaughter of people over the seas.” The Bishop of Nelson, the Rt. Rev. W. G. Hilliard, speaking from the pulpit of St. Peter’s Church, Willis Street, last night, employed the foregoing sentences to emphasise that it was no u<e Christian people in New Zealand making the excuse that it would cost a lot of money to reap the harvest of souls for God whitening in the mission fields of Hie world to-day.

Tlic occasion was the annual thanksgiving service of the New Zealand Anglican Board of Missions. There was ’i very large congregation. Nearly till the bishops of the dioceses in New Zealand were present. Archbishop Averill pronounced the blessing and t he lessons were read by Bishop Sprott. Wellington, and Bishop West-Watson. Christchurch.

Bishop Hilliard based his address on part of the thirty-fifth verse of the fourth chapter of St. John:-“Jesus said . . Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields: for they are white already to harvest.” First, the bishop showed by the tremendous growth of Christianity In foreign lands during the last 100 years that the harvest was fast ripening. He then stressed the urgency for more labourers to gather the harvest. Hesitant About Cost.

“The Church in New Zealand as elsewhere is hesitant about the cost of reaping the harvest and supplying more labourers,” said Bishop Hilliard. “Of course it will cost money, but people can always find money’ for their own pleasures, and to finance wars <•!’ slaughter.” He then made the striking remark quoted above. "The money is in the community, and the money belongs to God,” lie continued. "What we need is the enterprise—cheek, if you like —io go among the people of this country and get the money; from ourselves first, then we can get it from others. God s' resources are not diminished, and if we give ourselves lo Him—lift our eyes to the fields white unto the harvest —we will reap what in China, Japan, India, Africa, Melanesia. Ims grown from the seed of the Saviour's blood. Everywhere in those countries the same story of hunger for the gospel of the Christ comes as’a challenge because of the insufficiency of labourers to gather the rapidly-whitening harvest. We needjnore enthusiasm for Jesus Christ and the labourers will be sent and the harvest gathered.” Of China Bishop Hilliard said that the Christian Chinese community had established their own radio station <m Shanghai’s tallest building. During eight hours daily it broadcast the gospel for all the nation. In Japan the 354,000 Christians were impregnating the rising industrial economy’ with the principles of Jesus Christ. Had the Western nations been so diligent in Christianising their own industrial life? The young Christian Church in Japan—and' China—was a challenge lb the Church of the so-called Christianity of the Western countries 1 . South India with its great- scheme for the reunion of the churches within its borders threw down another challenge to the rest of Christendom. So the fields everywhere were white unto the harvest. Would the harvest be gathered?