THE NATION'S DUTY

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13206, 30 January 1915, Page 3

THE NATION'S DUTY

SERMfoj BY BISHOP AVERILL',

AN APPEAL'TO HIGHER

MANHOOD,

THE. TOUCH OF SELF-SACRIFICE WANTED.

AUCKLAND, Jan..2',, "Can-you picture a soldier's dying, vision!" IVi'shqp Averilhisked his 'congregation at St. Mary's Cathedral last night. "What would help him most—a vision of careless, pleasure-seeking? indifferent people, or a vision of selfsacrifice, of sympathetic, prayerful people, who realise that men who are dying in thousands at the front are doing so for their safety at home.' It is no honour to the country nt such a time to pride itself upon keeping up its race meetings and its cricket matches, with blood llowing freely at the front for the very existence of Die Empire." Bishop Avcrill said it was surprising to him that God had so insignificant a place in the thoughts of men at such a time. If we were satisfied that our cause was a just one, why were not more prayers offered up for the success of our armies? One could almost imagine that, men were afraid to approach the Throne of the Almighty and appeal for victory. He was surprised that men did not at this time value more the Communion services, that they did not crowd the special services of intercession. "We are all keen critics of Germany and German ideals," said the Bishop; "for its sins are obvious enough. But are we not suffering from over-much wisdom in ourselves! Are we not playing our part in keeping back the dawn of better and truer daysdays of stable international relations—because we are wanting in vision! After the Napoleonic wars there seemed toMie such a hope, and there seemed to be such an opportunity, for truer international relations, but. mean jealousies crept in in place of the seizure of opportunities (led gave us. The great man is not the man who sees faults in his neighbour, but the man who is ready to admit his own weaknesses, If Prussian militarism has oyer-sliadowed the German life so that righteousness and justice and brotherhood seem to be eclipsed, and might and Empire and slavery substituted in their place, would it not appear that the British naval strength, commercial might, and comfort have somewhat blinded our own eyes to the real responsibilities of a world empire ! Have we not been wise in our own conceit! Have we not regarded our Empire as Ihe darling of the gods, nnd forgotten the one God, Father of all? Have we not been guilty of empire selfishness! Of course all realise that the slow progress of the war is the result of the small force we are able to put in the field. Is there nothing deeper! God had lo wait for years before SI. Paul's eyes were opened, lie is wailing for our eyes lo be opened, nnd for our souls to be awakened. Perhaps we are 100 satisfied with Ihe lillle we have done in this country, and, perhaps, some of us have required a good ileal of patting on the back. The horrors of this titanic struggle have hardly come nt all to us. Vet we are interested spectators at safe distance, rather than participators in this terrible struggle, Judging by totalisntor investments we have not yet given to Ihe extent of selfsacriiice. Personally, much as I respect Ihe high tone of journalism in this country, I am sometimes disappointed that papers do uot rise higher and sound a loftier note of warning nt this time, and give a clearer call to self-sacrifice in this country. I.ask.you, honest men' and women, are we going without any comfort to bring ourselves into sympathetic touch with those at the front and those who are giving their lives for our sake!"

The Bishop, proceeding, said he conM not hut admire the movement in F.ngliinil for total abstinence during Die continuance of (he war. For two reasons llmt niovement had been taken up among all classes of the community— Jir.'t as a protest, ami secondly as an act of sympathy. It was n protest against the insidious practice of treatiiiff men in uniform ,'ind making them a disgrace to their manhood, lie sometimes wished that some of our own soldiers in this country could evolve n deeper sense of regard for the King's uniform, if they could not for themselves. In this, way, too, one might bring himself Into sympathetic touch with those who were standing in the trenches, Many seemed to forget that they all had to play their part in this war. The universal character of selfsacrifice of a people behind the uniformed battalions was, in his opinion, the chief line of defence. If people of Xew Zealand and of the Umpire would voluntarily curtail even part of their amusements in order to put themselves in sympathy with the men who were lighting and dying for them, the moral effect upon the soldiers in front, and upon New Zealand, would be tremendous.