THE RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 24 April 1937, Page 11

THE RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK

'Contributed) WHAT ABOUT OUR RELIGION in talrncss to himself, as well as in justice to the name which he bears, every Christian should at least once in a while take a good square look at his religion, that he may, with what detachment he can muster, make a fair estimate of its quality and genuineness. It is very easy to make mistaken judgments about our own things, and especially easy to labour under a delusion in regard to our own religion. And to be deceived in regard to the character and quality of our religion, to see it as something other and better than it is, may prove to be a very fatal mistake. It might be useful to ask ourselves the very straightahead question as to what sort of thing the Christian religion is supposed to be anyway, and what it is intended to do for and with the man who possesses it, or better, .perhaps, the man whom it possesses? Of course it would be admitted at once that no one could possibly answer such questions as those in a sentence or two, but at least we could glance at a possible answer or two, and even that might be helpful. We could say that our religion ought to make us cheerful or kindly, or easy to live with, or honest or optimistic, and every one of such statements would be emphatically true. But even if we could say that our religion had really done all those things for us—and that would be quite a claim—there is something more that we ouiiht to be able to say about it, and that something more is much more fundamental still. There is something redemptive about the Christian religion, and if our religion hasn’t that quality it would seem as if it had missed a great essential. We are living in a very needy world, needy for very many reasons and from very many points of view, and whatever our religion may do for us personally, or whatever it may make out of us in the matter of the character and quality of our own spirits, it ought to be serving its great redemptive purpose in the world about us. and if it isn’t somewhat effective in that sphere it has certainly missed its finest and most real justification. To

; say that we enjoy our religion is, after ill. to make a very superficial ‘statement in regard to it. —‘‘The New Outook." lie Gospel for To-day We have to ask what type of evn,elical doctrine is necessary in order to .set forth a living Gospel and create ;a living Church. Evangelical doctrine, , then, will in the first place be both i radical and real. It will confine itself ; to what is primary and essential in the ! Christian life and faith, to facts rather I than to theories. It will not be eon- ! tent to rest upon any plan of salvation, I but rather upon a saving Person. It I will reveal God always and only in I terms of Jesus Christ, and it will study | Jesus Christ with all the aids that I historical criticism and experimental psychology can provide. It will insist on a belief in Jesus Christ which does not mean the holding of theories concerning Him, but the full acceptance of Him as Guide and Saviour, and which makes the doing of His work the main condition of knowledge concerning Him. It. must recognise that to preach Christ is something more and greater than to preach about Him, and it must gladly and eagerly proclaim Him to the world as Redeemer and Lord of meti. The return to Christ, of which so much has been heard, still needs to be made a practical thing in the life of the Church. The Church needs to be more loyal to Him and to know Him better. She has no occasion to speak about Him with bated breath, and in deprecating tones as though she was not sure who He was or where He was to be found. The time and the occasion for this has passed away, if, indeed, it ever existed, and a positive and confident preaching of Jesus Christ will bring its own reward. He has not lost the ear even of the men in the street. They will listen to Him when our theories and speculations leave them wholly unmoved. If the modern preacher will but advertise Jesus Christ he will have no reason to be ashamed; He is still the only possible foundation for the Christian Church. —Dr W. B. Selbie.

It Rests with Yourself A little thought will show you how vastly your own happiness depends on the way other people bear themselves toward you. The looks and tones at your breakfast table, the conduct of your fellow-workers or employers, the faithful or unreliable men you deal with, what people say to you on the street, the way your cook and housemaid do their work, the letters you get, the ’friends or foes you meet—thefee things make up very much of the pleasure of misery of your day. Turn the idea around, and remember that just so much are you adding to the pleasure or the misery of other people’s days. And this is the half of the matter which you can control. Whether any particular day shall bring to you more of happiness or of suffering is largely beyond your power to determine. Whether each day of your life shall give happiness or suffering rests with yourself.—Rev. George S. Merriam