Timely Topics

Northern Advocate, 19 June 1939, Page 4

Timely Topics

“The road of the peace-maker, is often a rough one, but there are moments which fully make up for all

his troubles,” THE ROAD OF THE says Mr Cham-PEACE-MAKER. berlain. “When

I was visiting Rome the other week, a lady came to me and said: ‘ I want to give you a photograph which I have had specially taken of your great predecessor”—and it appeared that my predecessor was Augustus, the Roman Emperor, of whom there was a bust inscribed with the words: ‘ The | peace-maker of the world.’ “When I got home and opened the | parcel containing the photograph I 1 was shocked to see that the bust had \ been so maltreated that there was i nothing left of the nose, and hardly | any of the features were recognisable. So that photograph now stands Lin my room at Downing Street with \ the inscription: ‘ This is what hapI’ pens to peace-makers.’ I “We need not be down-hearted. This sis a great and powerful nation—far | more powerful than we were even f six months ago—and acts of violence | and injustice bring with them soon--9 er or later their own Every | one of these incursions raises fresh I dangers for Germany in the future, | and I venture to prophesy that in | the end she will bitterly regret what | her Government has done.” f (51 & ; S *S | The Bishop of Chichester, writing fin “The Times,” says: “The world to|day is tormented by nationalism, with

CHRISTIANITY AND WORLD ORDER.

its races in ar- ) maments and its fierce rivalries in

trade. To save civilisation it is essential to plan arid act in terms of a world order. And the only principles on which a sound world order can be built are moral principles, notably the principles of justice and love. It is precisely because it stands for a world order based on these principles that the Christian Church has its specific contribution to make to modern civilisation, and that Christians in all nations should try to understand and support one .'another. The Church haS a particular witness to give to justice and love, as the basis of a sound world order. Justice and love are absolute things, not dependent on the interests of the State at some particular crisis. If only the, nations generally had really tried. to conduct their policies according to these principles for the past 20 years we should not be in our present melancholy \ condition! Statesmanship certainly requires some spirit of accommodation. But it makes all the difference if the statesman acknowledges the authority of an absolute standard, and judges every policy by its conformity to the principles of justice and love. He can find that standard in the teaching of the Christian faith; and he can receive grace to obey it in the actual affairs of the State, as a member of the Christian Church. It will still be his duty to give his strength to the protection of his country; but even in the most anxious times he will keep his eye fixed on the conditions required for a new world order.