Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 62, 6 April 1945, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatane Ministers' Association).

THE CHURCH AND WAR A broadcast talk by the late Dr. William Temple, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury shortly before his death., I have been trying to answer questions sent in after an earlier series of talks and the last group that 1 have to tackle concern Christianity and War. They take three main forms: Why did not God prevent the War? Why did not the Church prevent the war? And how can Christians be willing to fight? The first two spring from a very common very natural, but none the less wrong attitude of mind. We think what we should like or approve, and expect God to do it, instead of watching what He does and co-operating with Him; but this, if He is really Almighty God, is the only proper course to take. God made us free, and we can arrange our lives on lines quite different from His if we like; indeed unless we are trusting to His guidance and strength we are bound to do this. Then our choice will produce its consequences for us and all other people who are. affected. When whole nations go on wrong lines the result, is endless •devastation. Why should God intrevene to stop that and not intervene to stop any one of us saying a spiteful thing about a neighbour which comes 9 round to him and creates bitterness where there could have been friendliness? Jn either case He would defeat the purpose for which He made us—that we should learn to use our freedom to obey Him freely for the love called out by His love to us. The war is a judgment on the Church. It shows how little the Church has penetrated and moulded the civilisation in which it has Leen placed. But the concern of the Church is not to help the world to avoid the consequences of sin while it goes oil indulging in the sin. The Church calls men and nations to leave their selfish waj*s and love their neighbours as. themselves. If that were to happen of course there would be no fighting. The Church might have called louder and more effectively; its members might have set a much better example. But the only way the Church can ever prevent war is by persuading men and women of all nations to change their outlook—that is to repent. If the world neglects that the Church can do no more for it, and ought not to do any more for it. If all the world were truly Christian there would be no war. There can be no disagreement about that.

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

The pioblem of the Christian's duty arises when owing to the failure of the nations to live by the Gospel war has broken out. Some say the Christian must stand aside, giving ail .service to sufferers that he can anil sharing all dangers so far as he can but not lighting or killing. I deeply respect, that conviction, and I believe God calls some people to give this special witness to the fellowship of love which is the goal of Christian hope and striving. But I am sure it is wrong to press this as a universal obligation for Christians. There, are sayings in the Gospels which show a non-pacifist outlook as well as the often quoted texts which taken alone, point to pacificism! Our question must be, how can 1 best express in the world as I find it the principle of love, for all peoples now and in future time for Poles, Nonvcgians } Dutchmen, Belgians, 'Frenchmen j Yugoslavs and Greeks as well as for Germans, who seem more than anything else to need deliverance from a tyranny oppressing soul and mind. And in the world as it Avas in 19*19 the way to show love to all these was by lighting and lighting hard. But the Christian lighter does not hate. He fights to prevent a great evil from enslaving the world. It is love that directs his campaign.

Dark is the sky! and veiled, the unknown morrow! Dark is life's way, for night is not 3 T et o'er; The longed-for glimpse 1 may not meanwhile borrow; But this I know He goeth on ' ' before. Dangers are nigh; and fears my mind are shaking; Heart seems to dread what life may hold in store; But 1 am His—He knows the way I'm taking, More blessed still a He goeth on before. Doubts cast, their weird unwelcome shadows, o'er me, Doubts that life's best —life's choicest things are o'er; What but His Word can strengthen, can restore me, And this blest fact: that still ITc goes before. He goes before: be this my consolation ! He goes before" on this my heart would dwell; He goes before: this guarantees salvation! He goes before! And therefore all is well.