HOW WOULD CHRIST END THE WAR?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11359, 10 April 1915, Page 11

HOW WOULD CHRIST END THE WAR?

—» AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCHES OF NEW ZEALAND. 10 THE EDITOB. Sir,—-Last week, on my way to this city, I read in one of our New Zearl ]a.nd papers of an old Indian legend j recently republished iu a- book of In- ] diart stories, which is said to be quick-j oning the Imperial patriotism of the' native soldier.-., who are said to see in the Kaiser a reincarnation of Rakama., j the Kiatc of the Powers of Evil. llama, i the *• friend" of Living Creatures, had in vain tried to shear off the heads of j tilp monster, but they grew a-gain aa; fast as xhcy were cut off. Then nia charioteer said, ' Aim at the heart., foj the heart, not the head, is the seat of evil.' " Kama does so,, and the arrow got\i home. Victory is won, and tha| reign of justice begins on earth. The moral of the story is, of course, that you cannot cure evil by cutting off its ho,id ; the heart and not tho head must bo aimed at, and the arrow that went home and secured the victory ia the shaft of love. It is the same leaching as we have in Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Strangely enough those who profess to be th 6 Master's representatives to-day, as I well a-s our politicians and soldiers, j have, bean saying thm, the only method j of dealing with tho Kaiser is the! method of "off with his head." Oer-1 ."many, we are told, must be utterly,' crushed, in order that peace, may be ] brought about ajid the reigu of right-' eousnesa established. 1 have myself hitherto taken this .stand, but I now: see chat it is entirely wrong, for strife;

begets strife, and can only bring dis-j cord and hate in its train. The only | absolutely sure way of dealing with evil j is by returning good for it. This dis- j arms it of it« po-wer. Evil has no power j ■ Cixcopt what we ourselves give to it. | "Resist, not evil." The world laughs) the advice; it- is a counsel of per- j lection, not- to be thought, of in practical everyday life. But it was spoken] by ih(i greatest teacher men have ever j had. and Hw knew what He wan talk-j inc about.. Have no fear of the thing, | .show your absolute faith in the good, J ami evil cannot harm yon. Fear lies at the bottom of war and of most of i the other troubles of the world, and thac tii'.' followers of the Master have nor themselves ie:in:t ,'hi* lesion is the reason that ICurope U to-day deluged in blood, aiui x-he people in the ol : tiie monster of militarism. If tho Christian churches in t.ho countries ent;a.<i.x! in ibis droauitti conflict were now to withdraw choir support j iif the war. 1 do irot suppose it would ' lasD a week. ! 'While there is yet time. will the min-j in 7>ew Zealand and throughout. j the lunpive ask Mnrviisolves. ".How: would Christ end the war?" and preach , upon the question at- an early date-, i Snob ,n move would bo bound to bo • followed up in Germany, and no onekit;)!', s what the offert- might- be m • hoipr.i.K to bring (<> an end this .shame-j tul' -.acrii'tee of lit'.-, and in , a new ova. It will only bo by the rsercise of reason and love that we can iiopo to j brim* ?! ( ont. a hotter state. Here »! the < hurobf »' uwvit or.povtunity; trill; the', ri -o ro ir.? \ViII : I ivy follow* their Mp.:,' rv» :i to l-ho Cross? If j not. then ; r iheir 'h>or<s will be writ- j te?i the f Tt'o'e w-u'ds. " And tJiey all fer-i.T.A H'"< ant 1 H" 1 am. etc., A NTAY ZKM.vW'i) MINISTER. Citrisichuivh. Ap: > 1 I'.