THE BIBLICAL WINDOW

Southland Times, Issue 23254, 17 July 1937, Page 12

THE BIBLICAL WINDOW

A JAPANESE NEIGHBOUR ’ Luke 10:29. “Who is my neighbour?” “Do you know anyone around here who has a machine that would cut my short wheat up on that high ground of mine? The summer has been so dry it’s too short for my binder.” This inquiry was made by a farmer to a representative of the American Harvester Company in Colorado. “There’s a Japanese farmer down the road who bought a combine from me last year. He’d probably cut it for you.” “Oh, that Jap!” replied the farmer. “Well, we don’t like Japs moving into this valley and none of us Americans has anything to do with him.” Just then a car came down the road, and in it was the Japanese. The Harvester man hailed him and introduced him to the American farmer. 1 After a cool acknowledgement by the American and a polite Oriental bow from the Japanese, the Harvester man explained the situation and asked the Japanese if he still had the combine. Then, would he be willing to cut the wheat for the farmer. The Japanese would be very glad to do so. “What will you charge me?” the farmer asked bluntly. The Japanese bowed again, even more politely. “I would not charge you anything,” he said, “because you are my neighbour.” Home Missions at short range is a splendid test of Christian character. —The Christian Advocate. PRAYING AND HOEING James, 2:26. "Faith without works is dead.” Someone said to a negro: “Uncle Dan, I heard that you asked the Lord for that good garden. Is that correct?” “Yes, sir, it is,” was the answer. “Only I never pray for a good garden unless I have a hoe in my hand. I say,

‘Lord, you send the sunshine and the rain, and I’ll get these weeds down here.’ ” A LITANY OF LIFE For men whose sons are yet “posted as missing;” For women whose small children are underprivileged; For boys and girls to whom opportunity is denied; For those who are “too old” for selfsupport, But years too young to die; For the very young and the very old, We beseech Thee, O Lord. A PASSION FOR HUMANITY “The common man,” writes Rev. J. W. Coutts, “is naturally turning with some degree of irritation to his alleged masters, political, scientific, and ecclesiastical, to ask why he has been led into such a morass, and what, if any, are their plans for getting him out. In short, the question “What must I do to be saved?” is once again a burning question. And there is nothing metaphorical or other worldly about the meaning applied to the word salvation. It is indeed salvation “here and now,” as evangelism has always put it, that the modem world is seeking. “The Church answers, as it has always done, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved; “but is still apt to forget, as it has often forgotten, that it is only half-quoting the apostle; for he added “thou shalt be saved and thy house.” For it is nothing less than a complete salvation that Christianity is empowered to offer; salvation for society as well as for the individual; salvation literally here and now in a sense that the older evangelism perhaps only dimly apprehended, for it means salvation from war and slums; from rickety children and prostitution as well as from the pains of Hell and the loss of God’s presence. For these things make a hell of human life, and mean the negation of God.”