Choughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 98, 13 August 1943, Page 2

Choughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatnne Ministers' Association).

THE SOLDIER'S SAVIOUR | The late Field Marshall Sir Doug- | las Haig.—"The Gospel of (Christ is the only hope, of the "world." General MacArtluir —"I. give thanks for God's guidance Who has brought to lis this success in our great crusade —Ilis the Honour, the Power and, the Glory forever." General Sir Arthur Smith—'"Christ meets every need of soldier and civilian." General Wavell —"What the men want is a quiet, place to read tlieir Bible and turn their thoughts to God." General Montgomery (to Staff Officers)—"l read, my Bible every day and I recommend you do the same." General Dobbie —"Christ has saved and satisfied me. for 47 years." "The Reaper." "J am not much interested in foreign missions," says the lukewarm Christian, "they are rather ineffective and are not really welcomed by the people of the lands to which they go and they create a good many problems for the Civil Administration." Well, here's a British Official's opinion of Missions in, India. Sir Andrew Fras'er., when Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, said:— "I am not a missionary, or the son of a missionary. All my "direct interest" in the woii'.c is .summed up in tliis, that, owing to the very high opinion which 1 have formed of the. present state and future, prospects of mission work, .1 have gladly seen my eldest, son devoting himself to that work. I have had many missionaries among my friends. Officially a nil privately, during my 37 years of service to the. Crown in India, 1 have had occasion to see much of their work. I have been an elder in an Indian congregation and visited constantly among the people. 1 have, many intimate and highly esteemed friends amongst the Indian Christians. I have known Indian Christians of all classes of society,, and in most of the circumstances of life, in joy and sorrow, in prosperity and adversity. I have, known some of them as intimately as I have, known my western friends.

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

The impression which all my experience has made upon my mind is one of great thankfulness to Go 1, of wonder at the results which have been achieved by so comparative y small an expenditure of energy in mission work, of great sympathy and, much admiration for the Indian Church generally, and for many of Us members in particular, and of assured hope that, greater manifestation of progress will be made in the near future." ' And here's the attitude of the present authorities in the New Hebrides. Because of the "great assistance rendered by Mr Crump" the Officer in Charge gave him a free passage in a naval transport to New Zealand and gave him also a letter to the authorities here asking that in return for help received. Mrs Crump i and their little child should be j given a free, passage back to Nguna with him. The moral influence of the Missionary and his in preventing regretable incidents is recognised by all who have dealings with primative peoples. And, here's the attitude of the Government of China to missionaries. One hundred and thirty years ago it was strictly forbidden on pain of death to preach Christ, in China, now the Chinese Government is providing free transport to any missionaries who can ge induced to go into Central and Western China to carry the Christian Gospel by word, and deed to the needy people of. that great land. PEOPLE WHO LET THE LIGHT SHINE THROUGH "Auntie,, who are those people in the windows,?" This, in an awed whisper from June. She had never been inside a cathedral before, and sat gazing in Avonder at the glorj' pouring through the beautiful stained glass. "They are saints," was the reply. After a lew moments, another whisper, this time with an air of great satisfaction, came from June.: "Now I know what saints are—they are people who let. tlie light shine through."