Waiapu Church Gazette JUNE, 1941. THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 32, Issue 4, 1 June 1941, Page 4

Waiapu Church Gazette JUNE, 1941. THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

Last month the Gazette published a very remarkable letter under the heading "The Christian Basis for Peace,," which, it is hoped, has been read as widely and carefully .as it deserves. 'It is called remarkable, because this is the first time for. centuries m which Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nonconformist leaders ' have spoken with one mind and one mouth on a question of public importance. Sturdy Protestants may be alarmed to find that they begin by saying that they all accept the five peace points of Pope Pius XII. But eyen the sturdiest Protestants might acknowledge that the Pope may sometimes be right. What are the five points? To put them m the simplest possible language they seem~ to come to this. Every nation, down to the smallest has the right to life and independence, and if threatened should be defended justly. - The race for anna-! ments and the tyranny of overpowering force must come to an end, and this requires some institutioh to oversee these things, more satisfactorily than the League of Nations. The real needs and just demands of peoples and minorities have got to be sympathetically considered and attended to. Finally we do need the development of conscience and" responsibil-

ity*-in peoples and their -rulers v according to the laws of God. In a democratic country -.peoples and - rulers are supposed to be the same, and no country can be m a satisfactory estate unless the. will of , God and His commandments are m the hearts and minds pf men. So far Pius XII. ' .It will be seen that much thinking and praying are needed, if these s points are to be worked out into practical form. The English signatories^ add five economic standards to go with them. Extreme inequality, .'in possession should be abolished. Every child, regardless of race or class, should have equal opportunities of education, suitable for him. The family is a tremendously important social unit. The sense of- Divine- vocation needs to be restored to man's daily work. Does not George Herbert speak of a housemaid as sweeping a room for God's laws? The resources of the earth are God's gifts for the whole human race, and should be so used. -We haye t 7not been wise. We have largely Tried to do without God, and a nice mess we have, got into. Let us try to learn wisdom. Think about it, pray about it, and if you must, talk about it. And, remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.