“A REMARKABLE GENERATION.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 7

“A REMARKABLE GENERATION.”

LEADERS OF TO-MORROW. DR MOTT ON THE FUTURE. A large gathering of city business and professional men met Dr John R. Mott at luncheon at the Y.M.C.A. on the 2tfth lilt., when ..a stirring address was de livered by the guest of honour on the coming generation and the outlook of the world at the present day. Mr P. R. Sargood presided, and at the conclusion of the lunch introduced Dr Mott to the gathering. His work, he said, was well known, and his international labours had made him qualified to speak on the generation that lyas to lead the world in the years to come. He called on the Mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley, M.P.) to welcome the speaker. Mr Tapley said he had the greatest [deasure in welcoming Dr Mott, of whose work'he had read so much of late. In his capacity as leader of the Student Christian Movement he was one of the worlds leaders, as the work among the young men and women of the world was the greatest and noblest work in the world. He assured Dr Mott that his visit had been welcomed by hundreds, and he ' was sure that the work which Dr Mott had set out to do would not suffer because of his visit to Dunedin He concluded by wishing the doctor the happiest recollections of his visit. Dr Mott, in rising to speak, said he was more than pleased to have the opportunity of meeting such a gathering of men. He had seen New Zealand before, 23 years ago, but on this visit he had been amazed at the developn nt and expansion'to be seen all over the community. What impressed him to a greater degree, however, was the solidity and symmetrical character of the improvements, which embodied a vita, and un mistakable change for the better in the character of the people. He had seen the Exhibition and had marvelled at it. He maintained that he was by now something of a-n authority on exhibitions, able to guage dimensions and take slock quickly, and he could assure Dunedin that its object had certainly been attained. Continued attendant n** enthusiasm proved to the traveller that the Exhibiion was a great and noble enterprise. He said he was asked the other ilnv what he thought of the outlook of the world, and he had replied that if he fixed his attention on the older generation—the men in charge—at times he had a sinking of heart, uot so much because of their ability or qualifications, but because they had a relatively short span left to them. But when he fixed his gaze on the comine generation that had not yet had the reins of power passed on to it. his heart beat high with hope. He said emphatically that he knew that generation, knew it intimately in every country of the world. He could say without boasting that he knew the generation thoroughly, and there was nothing to his mind quite so important of all the things that pressed upon their attention just now as the reaching for Christ, for His Church, and for His pro gramme and warfare "f this oncoming generation of youth. Nothing could be bracketed with it. and there wss nothing quite so important as to let the hands of the matchless Christ settle on this partieu lar generation, with His super-human forma live influence. But this generation had not been won for Christ and His Church with oil its auxiliary organisations. They had better see this thing as it was. It was a remarkable generation, and he mnde hold to say that, there had been no other like it in the annals of mankind. He hoped no other generation would have to pass through the same processes. The war. to wards the close. had reached down to those of very voting vears. and this generation included those who during the wartime were in their most plastic and impressionable years of lower adolescence. Never had a generation been exposed to inti matelv to influences calculated to affect for all time the outlook, the psychology, mentality and mode of life of the whole generation. Tt was a remarkable feneration for which anything was possible He would indicate briefly some traits of their generation which thev would all recognise. They were very much dissatisfied with the past and had a right to be. and were •‘'’on more dissatisfied with many aspects of the present, and he was inclined to think that they had the facta on their side, lliey were keenly critical. What had thev not criticised? It was -a penetrating criticism reaching to the heart of things, and he found that very encouraging. The generation was very inquiring—the most alert intellectually of any of which he ever read. They were asking funds* questions and insisted oa answers.

Sanctions that had held people for centuries they did not take for granted, and those who tried to bluff them off would lose their leadership. The generation hated sham and hypocrisy with a very bitter hatred—a very healthy sign. They were responsive to the note of reality wherever they found it. One man in a far-distarit country had charged them with going to extremes, but the speaker remembered that Christ went to the greatesi extreme of all—the Cross that He might win the world, and break down every parti tion between men. All this was making it a very difficult generation. He had been talking with fathers in Dunedin burdened with solicitude for the younger generation, and spoke of this being an isolated part of the world, but rhev were not isolated from the trends and currents which were surging round the world This was a generation that simply must be reached—the must waobligatory, not optional. The interest? which surrounded them that day made the need greater This gerieiation must be reached for its own sake. If ever there was a generation needing the eoun-el from the experience of a past generation, and that needed an accession of super-human life and power, it was this one. They must be reached because they pos-esseil traits greatly needed in every course represented around those tables. Hopefulness* was another of these trait?, in contrast to a widespread pessimism. They wanted a generation with hope. They also had idealism That was surprising iri the light of the disillusionment, the disappoint merit, and the reaction of the past live years. It should mean a great deal to them to have Mr Donald Grant drop in and tell of the idealism which exi?L in the most backward parts, an idealism which put to shame more favoured lands. Mr Grant, lie said, was one of the best prepared men in the Student Movement cvet brojght from the Homeland. Then this generation ha . vision—a trait more needed now than ever l»eforc in the history of the world. Never had any generation been called upon to consider simultaneously so many important problems. There were old men of vision also, lie said, who put the younger men to shame, hut lie would say that in 19 out of 20 cases the visions 01 the older men came to them when they were young. This breadth of vision was a great trait, and must be encouraged in the youug man. Adventure was another characteristic of the present generation—a spirit of daring and willingness to fight and struggle, not as in the great world war, but in a war for transcending that war. This was a war against lawlessness, crime, ignorance, diseaser—physical and moral — intolerance in politics, intellectuality, and religion—a war against misunderstandings, against the very causes of war, and thus, primarily, a war against war. The moral equivalent of war was urgently needed in the social tealm. It must be as heroic in its appeal md it aims and effects, so that it might reach down aud grip the characteristics of adventure in this generation, and make them fight. The Church and all its auxiliaries, and all institutions which had their origin in the Christian religion, had to measure up to the standards on which their faith was based. He said he had a quiet trust in the coming days. As he looked at the broken world, staggering undo: its burden of troubles, dissensions, stfifes, and intolerance, he thought of the coming years. Hie older generation could not live to pilot much longer a world in flux. Jt was the younger generation to which all must be entrusted. They must not let the metal of the younger men set, before it possessed the characteristics required by the future leaders of the world. -Tift opportunity was now, and must not be lost. “Dawn does not come twice to awaken man.” In conclusion he would just give a few Oi the principal ways in which the coming oration could be reached for -ae waging of the wondrous warfare and the carrying out of the great constructive programme. One of ‘ e first and most vital needs was the presentation of a unit.d front 1 all denominations. This meant the coordination of thoughts, plana, and efforts, while each agency preserved its own peculiar characteristics. Unlass this were done countless multitudes would slip through the fingers of all. and be lost to '*e world. The Y.M.C.A. Boy -cout movement* Bible classes, and all societies impinging on youth must measure up faithfully to th demands and possibilities of the wonderful movement. It was useless merely codifying the past, the world had to examine itself critically and see how it could do better, “Set like at work to reach like.” That was the axiom on which success depended. University undergraduates must be set University undergraduates must be set to school boys, and he also thought, professors

to reach professors—a great need i many countries. Each group knew it* o n situations. altitudes, and perplexities. A class must be set to reach itself, though, of course, the need of the oun6cl of other groups was ever present, hut it was imperative that this law. vhich never fails* should be used to the limit. Another great need was to give the generation an adeq ate outlook «o work upon. They had to put out a programme, vaer enough to fire the imagination, diffi cul f enough te demand one’* highest power*, tragic enough to startle the genera tion from indifference and overwhelming enmi"h to drive the coming peoples of the world to superhuman o,T ort and endeavour I.astlv. tlie rrenevnMori of to-morrow nmsr lie confronted with a living Christ in fh° lives of men now Hvin" and moving among them. The world’s Christ must he seen not only in the few' men in the pnlnit. bur in eommerce, finanee, polities, and medical profession, the lee-al circle, and among jurists, engineers, arehitects. and in every walk of life. The only way in which the principles of Divine law could he applied in the world was of letting Christ break out among us. Christ wanted to clothe himself and his cause with men. living men. and in that, and that only, would the coming generation find the source and mainspring of the power and strength to wind their way through the cross-currents and undertones that were encircling the world. Mr I>. 1?. Theomin proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Dr Mott for his remarks, and said that two things had struck him in that address. There were Dr Mott's wonderful optimism at such a critical period and the need for a practical Christianity as advocated by the speaker. Religion was futile unless practical. Mr Sargood. after cheers had been given for Dr Mott, asked the gathering to leave the hall with a firmer determination to stand by the Various brnnees of youfh a f present in operation in the city. Dr Mott’s address ought to be a great encouragement. The gathering closed with a verse of the National Anthem.