RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 21718, 12 May 1934, Page 3

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.] God hides Himself within the love Of those whom we love best; The smiles and tones that make our homos Are shrines by Him possessed. .MOTHERS’ HAY. To-morrow will be observed throughout the Sunday schools as Mothers’ Day, when we do honour to the womanhood of our nation. A white flower will be worn as a token of love for mothers present or of sweet memory for mothers gone before. Mother, that precious name, For ever more the same, Earth’s sweetest word! Though ages past have flown, No sound was ever known Like that dear name alone, Or ever heard! Our mother’s God, to Thee In deep humility We lift our prayer. Keep those we hu e the best Through every trial and test, And may they ever rest Safe in Thy care. THE GOOD MOTHER. Already investigations are taking us back by devious ways to some of the old simplicities. A report of a Medical Research Council on poverty, nutrition, and growth, which deals largely with child life in the slums of three Scottish cities, gives striking confirmation of this. Of all the influences examined none was found to equal in importance that of the mother. All the observers in all the areas reached the same conclusion. The children of an efficient mother, of a good mother, were found to be definitely heavier and taller than the children of an indifferent mother, tn well-kept homes the children flourished, in badly-kept homes they were undersized and underdeveloped. Hence no legislation, education, or social changes have real value in child training if the home has not the right maternal influence. This is a position which experienced observers have maintained throughout the generation. The race cannot rise any higher than its mothers. Anything which lowers the quality of the home, whether it be bad housing or the social functions which take people away from the home, is ultimately ruinous to character and to the State. SUNDAY SCHOOL AND HOME. [Notes of the address given by Rev. H. A.' Mitchell, of Roslyn, to the Presbyterian Sunday School Union.] The chief task and the main responsibility‘in the religious and moral development of children belongs, or should belong, to the home, and not to the Sunday school teacher. It has been stated that one good mother is worth a hundred good teachers. The Sunday school is an auxiliary to, but not a substitute for, the home. The value of children worshipping together and learning together as they do in Sunday school is immense, but whether they were ever meant to be substitutes for religious training in the home or not, in plain fact they cannot be. The mother and father have influenced their child lastingly for good or ill before ever he conies into contact with any Sunday school. This child, a sacred trust, comes with a life plastic to the band and mind and heart with which it comes into contact. Over against it stands the mysterious world, where its life has to bo lived and its character and destiny forged. Now the first window through which it looks out is the window of home, the first eye with which it sees is the eye of a mother, the first hearts by which it will be influenced are the hearts of a mother and father, and there first impressions are all important. They bite deep and are almost ineffaceable. These impressions are being received almost from the very dawn of life. Child psychologists tell ns that practically all the child has learned by the age of seven has been by imitation, and he is influenced not alone by acts, but by the mental and spiritual attitude of those about it. To show that this process goes ou even before a child can think, the speaker quoted an illustration from a book of Dr Dorothy Wilson, “ Not very long ago the matron of a babies’ home noticed that one of her babies, who had been healthy and contented, was becoming emaciated, fretful, sleepless,, and highly nervous, although he was having the same food and treatment which had agreed with him so well previously. The nurse in charge of him was a good nurse, but in some private anxiety and trouble, which was a severe nervous strain upon her. The matron wondered if this could be the cause, and changed the nurse, with*out changing his food or treatment in any other way. At once the baby began to take his food and sleep again, and within a few days was his former self. Shortly afterwards the former nurse had a complete nervous breakdown.” Dr Wilson finely , concludes; “ If such is the influence of a spirit disturbed, may not a spirit poised and balanced, in harmony with itself, its fellows and its God, have at least as great an influence upon the infant? ”

To the parents, then, it may well be pointed out, though, of course, it is not the duty of the individual Sunday school teacher to do it, that with few exceptions, which are no credit to them the children will he what they are. 'The home at Nazareth vividly emphasises all that has been said. Its influence went with Jesus through His life, and incidentally. home is for ever hallowed in that Almighty God could trust His only begotten and well-be-loved Sou to a human home as a. helpless infant. Look at the teaching of Jesus! The greatest parable He uttered was about a lather and a home ; the richest name He had for God was “ Father ”; when the disciples disputed among themselves about whom should be greatest, He placed in their midst the one who is central in the home, a child—all revealing the influence of home.

When Jesus, at the age of twelve, was left behind in the temple, and was found amazing the doctors by the wisdom of His questions. His mother scolded Him. Jesus replied : “ Wist ye not that 1 must be about My Father's business? ” We are told that this passage could be rendered: “ But you should have known,” etc. “ Mother, you should have known where to find me, you who have always been ray confidant and guide, and have always been telling me about and pointing me to My Father in heaven.” Mary, who had long “ pondered these things in her heart ” is here revealed ns our Lord’s great earthly teacher, which is not surprising. For the great, majority of children there will be no Prolector in the heavens if they cannot find Him through the first and greatest protector they know on earth ; there will ho no everlasting arm of love if they do not find them through the arms that are about, them in infancy and childhood.

Similarly, would Jesus have used the word “ Father ” to describe God had

Ho not seen in Joseph something of what He conceived the Father in heaven to be. The supreme influence of the home then suggests that the place of the Sunday school is as an auxiliary cooperating with the home. And the question arises: What can we do to bring the importance of religious education before parents ?_ The preacher stresses from the pulpit the need for home training, but the parent may well reply: “ But, show me how to go about it?” The first reply may well be: “ Your own life, what- you are is the most important factor.” But that is not enough. Should not the churches do more to enlighten parents—suggest literature and, if necessary, place it in the hands of parents? Would parents’ leagues be a success? And. in particular for the Sunday school teacher, may there not be far greater co-opera-tion than at present? The children have work to do at home; some parents are not even aware of it.

The Presbytery's Youth Committee has this matter” in _ hand at present. Any suggestions which Sunday school teachers or others could offer would be most gladly received by its convener, Bev. 0. G. Wilcox.