CHURCH PARADE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20340, 25 June 1934, Page 4

CHURCH PARADE.

Preacher Speaks on Work of St John Ambulance. Members o£ the St John Am bnlance Association and Brigade, two hundred and seventy -five strong, paraded >es ?erday morning at St Paul's Presbyterian Church. The service was conduct, ed by the Rev Alan C. Watson, wh traced briefly the growth °f the order; Service and religion, he said, vtere m ter-related and the foundation of works of charity and mercy was the Christian la ''[ hf-re was no greater problem in life, «aid Mr Watson, than that of suffering. pain and disease, particularly when there seemed to be no reason for it Every great religion m the world had been faced with that problem and nearly every religion had its own explanation for it. The Jews held the belief that it was caused by the sin of an individual or his parerits. They believed that nothing happened without cause. There was only one great religion which did not have an explanation of the problem. That was Christianity, which did not explain suffering. "What we have is an answer to pain," he said. There was the answer of service. It was good to have the members of the St John Ambulance and Brigade with them that morning to remind them of that aspect of religion. Everv great religion had had its origin when some man recognised the pain and suffering and the need for something to be done. That was true, too, of all the great movements in the world. So began the Crusades, and although there were many features in the Crusades which were distasteful and had to be condemned nothing could ever make people forget that tens of thousands of men were united for the first time in the history of Europe in one common emotion. There was a new order of Christian knights prepared to lend a helping hand and so there came into being the Order of St John —not a fighting order but a healing order and the oldest order of chivalry in the world. The order was dissolved but revived again in 1877. “ The more "’e study the aims and ideals, the more we realise,” said the preacher, ‘‘that to-day we have the true lineal descendants of the Order of St John.” Service and Religion. Their duty was to serve, no matter what the attitude of others was. “You cannot get away from the connection of service and religion,” said Mr Warson. “What is the foundation of work of charity and mercy? There is only one. That is the Christian faith. Unj less we maintain that Christian faith I in its strength and purity then assuredly it will wither and die. Religious faith is the driving power of all. If we want a strong association, church or community service there is but one foundation—-that of Christian faith.” The lessons were read by the Hon Sir R. Ileaton Rhodes and Mr A. W.' Williams. The Woolston Band headed the parade which comprised 16 association members, 9 of the district staff and 250 other ranks, under the command of the Assistant Commissioner, Dr F. T. Borrie. The units parading included the Christchurch, Selwyn. Beckenham, Girl Guides and New Brighton Nursing Divisions, the Christchurch No. 1, Railway, Christchurch No. 3, New Brighton and Kaiapoi Ambulance Divisions, the Linwood Rover Scouts, 40 nursing cadets and 60 ambulance cadets.