POWER OF THE SPIRIT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 179, 30 June 1936, Page 8

POWER OF THE SPIRIT

WONDEIIS OF TESTIMONY. ADDRESS BY REV. C. F. ANDREWS. The tension in. Europe because of the fear of war, the need to-day for the practical application of the teachings of Christ, and outstanding examples of the power of the Divine Spirit, were discussed in a wellattended address by Rev. C. F. Andrews, of Bengal, India, at Massey College, last evening. The gathering had been arranged by the Massey College branch of the New Zealand Student Christian Movement, and there were present a number of ministers of religion from the city and nlso a party of Hindus engaged in business in this district. Ihe chaii was taken by Mr J. R. Muriay, P r O“ Bident of the Massey College branch of the Student Christian Movement, and at his request liev. L. Miller, New Zealand secretary for the movement, introduced Mr Andrews Pleasure was expressed by Mr Andrews, in the opening stages of his address, at the large number of persons who had approached lnm personally in the course of his series of lectures at the universities of the Dominion. It was most difficult m New Zealand to. appreciate the real terror in Europe at the prospect of ivar, he said. He had been in the Red Sea, in Geneva, and in Europe when events had moved . quickly ox late, and there had been a fear, from moment to moment, when Germany occupied the Ruhr, that an ultimatum of war would be given. All the trouble was caused by our own folly, and we knew it. If we could only believe in each other and each look on the other more as a human being, there would be no need for that terror. We were in a worse _ position now than .after the Great War. Sucha condition had brought God s people closer to Him. At Cambridge University nearly 2000 students had attended each night for nine days when a mission had been conducted there. There had then been given a wonderful testimony of how God was in the heart of England. The students bad flocked in thousands to near about Christ, to know wliat Christ meant, and how they could make their lives useful. The speaker then traced his leaving England to go to Fiji to report on the conditions ot life of the Indians there, and from Fiji to New Zealand. . Mr Andrews dwelt for a brief period on his feelings when he had experienced a call to Christ. Iheie had been agony, hut joy later, ana his life had been made happier and brighter ever since. That great power, which was so strong that it took some of the best lrom the British universities to die unknown as missionaries, could be had by everybody. It was not reserved for the few, and in travelling 200,000 miles by steamer alone he had met a great many who possessed it. That was remarkably apparent in peoples who were young in Christianity—Chinese, Indians, and the peoples of the Pacific. The speaker told of the transformation of a young Indian, Sadhu Sundar Singh, who would be known to millions. The love of God in him had been so great that the speaker had never seen anything like it. When the speaker had last, seen Sadhu he was travelling to Tibet, determined to cross the snow and icebound passes and witness to God. Mt Andrews told of how the young man had left camp -suddenly one night feeling himself called, and he had found a man across .the valley who was just dying and: had been able to help him. Or£: another occasion a leopard had, leaped beside him as lie prayed. Others were frozen with fear, but the leopard lay down beside the young Indian, who had put his hand on its head. That was quite true, said the speaker, who added that he had checked the accounts of the occurrence very exhaustively. Finally, the young man had continued liis journey to Tibet and had not been heard of since. He had wanted passionately to witness to God there. Some said he had died on the way; some said he had been killed in Tibet; others thought lie was hidden in the mountains, praying lor the world. . ... Was not that power the very thing that was wanted in the world to-day? Mr Andrews asked. The power of Christ, of His love, of His forgiveness —could that no change all? He took us in all and made us so much of His own that we could go to Him again and again. Was it’ not the way to live, to live a life that was really worth living and one that was worth dying for? Mr Andrews then invited members of the audience to meet him personally, and after the meeting concluded there was ample opportunity for such a course.