“ Be of Good Courage ”

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 99, 28 April 1941, Page 6

“ Be of Good Courage ”

BISHOP HOLLAND’S STIRRINGMESSAGE In the course of an inspiring sermon to a largo congregation at All Saints’ Church last evening, Rt. Rev. St. Barbe Holland, Bishop of Wellington, took as his text the battle cry of Joab, “Be of good courage and let us piay the men for our peoplo and for tne cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth to Him good.” (Samuel 11, chap. 15, verse 12). These words were a superb challenge, his Lordship said, to the Empire and the cause for which we were fighting, eswe knew were were on the verge of a supreme crisis- a time ot testing of the courage of the British people. Friday had been a day of proud thanksgiving, for we knew the men of Anzac had been of good courage and had left a tradition for the generation that succeeded, which tradition they had risen to and adopted for their own. As we thought with proud thanksgiving of the iirst Anzacs cur hearts were full of pride for the second Anzacs, who had shown the same heroic courage and endurance under similar circumstances. They had their backs to the wall in what was a forlorn hope and as Leonidas and his little band, had won the admiration of their enemies. With Joab, danger had to be faced, the battle was on with the odds against him and, finest of all, there was no question of calculation as to victory or defeat—that was left to God in absolute confidence.

Continuing, Bishop Holland said there should be something more of that attitude in our nation when things were not too bright. He had been appalled by the attitude of many men and women who constantly required assurance of victory. Let there be no thought of calculation of victory, or defeat, the speaker said, and Joab’s words wore appropriate to the moment. New Zealand troops had not been sent to Greece because victory was a certainty, but .because honour demanded it. Whatever happened, we had “played the men” and helped a small nation, the people of which preferred to die free men rather than live as slaves. This had been the most glorious example of what playing the man had meant. We must have philosophy about Iho whole situation. One thing was certain, if tfie Christian nations had the true philosophy military defeat could not conquer the soul of man. It would make all the difference in tho coming mouths if we could stick to that philosophy. We had been watching with awe and reverence our kinsmen in England, who remained unbowed during hammering blows that had mined upon them. Anxiety and fear were knocking at the doors of many hearts and our prayers went out to thpse engaged in an epic struggle with such courage.- While wo too must be of good courage, there must also be the knowledge that ‘ * behind every shadow standeth God.” This would give a fine sense of proportion and keep life, death and pain in their proper place and enable us to say as the weeks rolled on, * ‘ iu quietness and confidence shall be our. strength and power to help our fellow men in time of strain and stress.” Our brothers were playing the man; what about us? There was no cause for congratulation, his Lordship ventured to saw This was a total war and all were in” the front line. We, too, must play the man for our people. We must brace ourselves to a new sense of urgency and responsibility; if we did not we would be letting God down and risking defeat. It, was spirit that would win the war. not machines. There was too much drinking and gambling and the reins were loose on the sensual side of nature with too much that was merely material as the objective of life. God’s voice was breaking through suggesting that now was the time to rise up and play the man for our people and for the cities of God. In this moment, of supreme crisis in our Christian history Bishop Holland exhorted his people to dedicate their lives to the Man who alone could help them to play the man—the only figure in history who hnd played the perfect man. “Ask complete forgiveness for all the hurts you have inflicted, take Him as your Leader, trust Him as your friend, open the doors and let Him come in and take possession to drive out material things which are as dust. That is the challenge of the moment. Go out from this church having heard the Captain’s order of the day, ‘Be of good courage,* ” said Bishon Holland in conclusion.