ALMOST A CHRISTIAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1005, 23 June 1930, Page 14

ALMOST A CHRISTIAN

IMPRESSION OF THE WORK OF GANDHI WHY HE HAS FAILED “Gandhi is the finest giver of the finest advice; be is almost a Christian, but not quite.” This is the impression of Gandhi, the Indian leader, given by Dr. Stanlev Jones in his book, “The Christ of Every Road.” The writer says: “I sat on the floor of the Ashram of Gaudhiji (the ‘ji’ added to a name is a token of respect) and listened to an address given to a small group of the International Fellowship. I listened with appreciation to the advice he gave, for it came from a great soul. But all the time he was speaking, I could not keep my eyes from a little picture on the wall just above his head. I could scarcely make out its outlines, for it was turned toward the shadow, but. soon saw It was a picture of Christ upon the Cross. Strange that the picture of the Crucified should be here in the Hindu Ashram. But, why strange? The cross Is written in the constitution of our universe—why shouldn't it be there in the Hindu Ashram? As Gaudhiji went on speaking, a gentle breeze came through the window and turned the little picture from the shadow toward the light, and before be had finished a sunbeam from the window was falling upon the Crucified and He was luminous. As Gandhi finished his address, he turned toward us and said, ‘Will you sing that hymn?’ and when asked, ‘What hymn—“ Lead Kindly Light?” ’ he replied, ‘No, “When I survey the Wondrous Cross.” ’ There we sat— Hindu, Moslem, Christian-—and those of us who knew it sang it, some of us with deeper meaning than ever before.” Commenting on the above the “Reaper,” the official organ of the Anglican Board of Missions in New Zealand, says: “And yet Mr. Gandhi failed. But the reason is in that word ‘almost.’ Knowing Christ as Mr. Gandhi does, he has yet refused to join Him, and that not once nor twice. He prefers to remain a Hindu and endeavour to do what only Christ can do, unite Hindus and Mohammedans. He is now in prison, but that would matter nothiug, were he united to Christ. St. Paul spent much time in prison. He contributed much to the ‘overturning of the world’ from his prison. But be worked wholly for and through Christ. Mr. Gandhi’s failure is due to his refusal to surrender himself to Christ. He therefore lacks the power of the Spirit of Christ. Splendid as his work is In many ways, it yet must fail of its grand object. ’Without Me ye can do nothing,’ is written in large letters over the life of Gandhi, a life which most men gladly admit has done much for India, and not the least item that ‘much’ is the fact that he has shown India’s need of a Saviour.”