IDEALS OF ROTARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 22 June 1937, Page 8

IDEALS OF ROTARY

“TIIE SELFLESS NAZARENE” I ADDRESS BY REV. W. ROWE I | The ideals of Rotary as related to ; “the selfless Nazarene who was the per- j ! iect embodiment of the motto of | Rotary,” formed the subject of an ad- j dress to Rotarians at St. John’s Meth- j | odist Church on Sunday evening by the ! Rev. W. Rowe. i In thinking of the ideals of the Rotary movement as they related to business and the professions, to community life ,and international relationships, thoughts j turned naturally to Him who was reI sponsible for the birth of those ideals, and from whom came the inspiration to put them into practice, said Mr Rowe. I The selfless Nazarene was the perfect embodiment of the motto of Rotary i “Service above self.” It was He who taught that by selfishness a man loses his soul, and reversely he finds his truest happiness and satisfaction in serving others. Rotarians recognised that high ethical standards ought to regulate all human relationships. No ! I man of course was in business to-day merely for the fun he got out of it. Nor was business a philanthropic institution or service. Profit was a legitimate re-; suit of business, but Rotary recognised ’ that part of the profit ought to be found in the service rendered to the commun- j ity. “Every man is justified in attempt-; ing success in his daily vocation, but we! are beginning to realise more and more, j that we are first and foremost ethical ! men, and as such we have a duly to our ! fellow's as well as ourselves. Rotary; teaches that ‘he profits most, who serves best,’ where profit is thought of in terms of character as well as money, i All service should bring with it as! increment of character, and the finest! characters are still the greatest asset which a community or nation pos-; sesses,” said the speaker. If the motto of “service above self” j could really become effective in daily life, it would transform the world, and [ solve most of the problems which vexed and perplexed us to-day. Perhaps we could best encourage and develop the spirit of Rotary, by looking at the unselfish Nazarene, “who came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.” Those words were uttered to counteract the selfish aims and ambition of Christ’s disciples. They coveted places of authority, one on his right hand and one on the left. They associated greatness with position and power. And this was still one of the prevailing ideas of men despite the example and teaching of Jesus, the Christ. The great nations of the earth to-day, according to human estimates were those nations which measured their strength by their military, naval and air forces. “The doctrine of blood and iron” was still proclaimed by so-called civilised nations. They still attempted to conquer by the “mailed list and the iron heel.” Christ taught a more excellent way. “Whosoever shall be great among you, let him be your minister, and whosoever w’ould be chief among you, let him be your servant.” He became Master of all, by being servant of all. He measured greatness by humility, lowliness, self-sacrifice.

This was the standard He applied to His disciples, when He said, “are ye able to drink of,the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with? My way leads to a cross. I climb to my kingdom on a gibbet by the roadside. Arc you willing through uttermost love for me and your fellows, to occupy a place by my side, on the right and the left when I come into my Kingdom? Here was the model that we were expected to copy as we sought to apply our motto to our daily life and work: “Service above self.” “I am among you as He that serveth.” Gladstone recognised the honourable dignity and greatness attached to the service of his position when he signed himself, “Your humble servant.”

The preacher pointed out that no such honour was associated with service in Christ's day, die servant being a slave. When his disciples resented the idea of "service above self” if it meant washing one another’s feet, Christ girded himself with a towel and performed th : menial task, even for a traitor. The scene so impressed itself on the mind of Peter, that we find him saying, ‘‘Put on the apron of humility to serve one another.” Sir Walter Scott said that the most beautiful part of Scotland was where the highlands and the lowlands meet. And Christ was seen in unparalleled beauty .where He united the heavenly places with the common pathway of our everyday life. He reversed the philosophy of men and nations by throwing His life away in the interest of others. Not for personal gain, but for l he sheer joy of helping, blessing, saving, He expended every ounce of physical and spiritual power in unselfish service. To ransom, set free, emancipate from the galling bondage of sin, to enable men to live the highest, grandest type of life, He' gave himself „to death for us all. “This is the type o*f service; He enjoins upon men to-day, sacrificial 1 service, which loses self in the needs i of others. ‘He that saveth his life.’ in | the sense of being self-centred, 'shall lose it, but he that loseth his life,’ in the sense of being Christ-centred, ‘shall save it unto life eternal.’ With that spirit and attitude our motto ‘service above self’ will be applied to daily work j and living,” he concluded.