At Niagara Falls

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 154, 26 March 1938, Page 1 (Supplement)

At Niagara Falls

“As I stood at the brink of the chasm at Niagara watching the rushing torrent, the one predominating thought that possessed me was—how long has this been going on? And as I watched that raging torrent go over the precipice I thought also—-what tremendous power being wasted! As I inquired about it I was told that many people were opposed to any further harnessing of that power, because such machinery as was necessary might spoil the natural beauty of the Falls.

“To me that sounded much like the attitude which many people hold with regard to the Church. How many people there are who feel that the Church must remain out of conflict with social ills, because such contact might spoil the beauty of the Church. “Isn’t it possible in these days that engineering skill can harness and utilise the tremendous power of the Falls, and still not mar beauty? Isn’t it possible, also, that spiritual engineering can harness and utilise the tremendous spiritual power of the Church, and still not mar beauty? “The problems of our day need every bit of reflective reasoning that can be given. They need also spiritual understanding. Surely the liberal Church organised as it is with humanity as its first consideration, ought to devote its dynamic power to an honest attempt a? understanding—that understanding to be followed by united action where action is seen to be needed. “We must unite individual hopes and aspirations in group thinking. Then, spurred by the knowledge that we are thinking and dreaming with others of like mind, we can join forces and become more than a passive spiritual influence. We can be spiritual, but we can be spiritual about something I”-— A. W. Olsen in the “Christian Register.”