WHY THINGS ARE NOT DONE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 6

WHY THINGS ARE NOT DONE

(To the Editor.)

f; Sir,—The following remarks by ""A"-'Way-1 arer" in the British monthly journal "Overseas" for January, 1933, I am sure you will agree are worthy of a wider publicity, and I trust you may find space in your columns for their timely message:— "In my work, moving as I do from one place to another and constantly meeting fresh groups "of people, I cannot help^ noticing how many of us seem to have tied ourselves up in all manner of knots. We imprison ourselves behind bars of false thinking, from which sometimes there, seems no escape, short of death. The first reaction of far too many people on hearing something fresh, is to say 'No/ or" 'I can't/ or 'It can't, be . done.' Whereas the wiser attitude surely would be to examine the suggestion, whatever it may be, ana see what could and ought to be done about it.'

"When I see heavy, lethargic, self-cen-tred people wandering about the world, I am,perfectly certain that if they would cast aside half their prejudices and habits of life,- they w.ould almost instantly become new beings. "Recently I have come into touch with' a group1 of people who are certainly vital and -who are arousing interest, antagonism, I whole-hearted support, enthusiasm, and criticism wherever they go. I refer to ■the Oxford Group. lam not'a member myself, but I am in sympathy with a great many of the things "for which they rtand, and I always admire honesty and courage. The members of the Oxford Group possess amazing loyalty to their ideals of absolute honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love, and are so vita), so forthright, and so courageous that they challenge the fainthearts wherever they go. I have referred to this Christian fellowship to demonstrate what can be done individually to escape from self-imprisonment. I advise anyone who wants to; know more about this astonishing movement and its achievements to read Tor Sinners Only,' by Russell, or 'Life-Changers,' by Haroid Begbie.

"Why cannot we give sympathy and^ understanding instead of, too often, destructive criticism to a movement or to a person, even when we cannot go the whole way with it'or him or her?

"What I have been struggling to say is just this: knowledge of all kinds is release from some bond. Far more knowledge is already available than is put into practice. So let us be. very sure that we are not hindering.progress by our decisions; and let us open rather than close doors. The closed mind is as useless as a rusty lock."—l am, etc.,

WAYFARER.