MESSAGE TO YOUTH

Evening Star, Issue 21749, 18 June 1934, Page 2

MESSAGE TO YOUTH

HAPPY NOTE IN GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN ADDRESS BY Dll F. W. NORWOOD The statement that no permanent good could be secured tins world without a capacity for sacrifice was one ot the basic notes in an_ inspiring address delivered by Dr J’V W. Norwood, ot the City Temple, London to a very largo audience in The main Town Hall yesterday afternoon. Dr Norwood analysed tile moaning of the Gospel of St: John and drew attention to the essentially happy nature of the message it contained. The gathering, which took the form of a special service, was presided over by tho Rev. Albert Mead, with whom on the platform were several clergymen representing various denominations.

The Rev. L. B. Neale said that, what with Sunday excursions, Sunday concerts, Sunday pictures, and the like, a tremendous challenge was coining to the youth of the city and the people ot New Zealand generally, and if Dr Norwood were here for six weeks he (tho speaker) would gladly close his doors and allow the distinguished preacher to deliver his inspiring messages as frequently as possible. “ I believe that the nationhood of this dominion is being greatly challenged,” added Mr Neale, “ and we shall need something more than the philosophy of Bernard Shaw and the dulcet tones of Edgar Guest to see us through. I am sure that Dr Norwood will inspire you to the finest ideals of citizenship. _ He will not receive a penny for this visit, which has been arranged by the Australian and New Zealand churches, and it is only fair that we should bear our share of tho expense and not allow it all to he paid by the City Temple.” Tho Rev. Mr Mend, in introducing Dr Norwood, explained that the visitor was a minister of a Congregational church which had conic to bo known as tho City Temple, and which had acquired a kind of halo because of its growing condition and valuable work. Dr Nonvood had been released from the Temple in order to take tho world in his stride and preach the cause of peace. A WANDERING PREACHER. “ It will be exactly one year to-mor-row since I preached my last sermon at the Temple,” said Dr Norwood, in his opening remarks. “ I have been wandering ever since—through Africa. Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. When I was packing my luggage and trying to decide on limy little 1 ‘could get around the world with in one and a-quaiter years the problem of what books 1 should take became a very real one. I may say that my only real hardship has been the enforced absence from ray library in London. I eventually decided to carry only the Bible, for 1 realised that the hooks about the Bible were so numerous that it .would be impossible to carry them. We read a good deal about the Bible, but how little we read the Bible for itself !” ST. JOHN’S IMPRESSIONS. Dr Norwood went on to say that people too often perused the Bible through cultural glasses of one kind or another. On the present tour he made up his mind to read it with an entirely fresh mind, and. as far as possible, let it specie, for, itself. For a time bo concentrated on one book—the Fourth Gospel (St. John): It was a wonderful little book. Every minister knew that ,no part of the Bible, aroused more controversy ■ than the Gospel according to St. John. There were all sorts of disputes over its authorship, and sonic people tried to use it to upset pre-con-ceived notions.

Personally, lie did not care who wrote it. Somebody wrote it, and it was clear that he was trying to make people think. He (Dr Norwood) realised that tlie Gospel of St. John was not the life of Jesus from the biographical point, of view. There were so many facts-per-taining to these times' that were omitted, lint somebody was trying .totell what he thought about Jesus, so as to make on the mind a definite impression of Him. It was really much easier to write a biography of some man than to place the finger on the essential meaning of that man. Nothing led them astray more than continued reiteration about certain things in a man’s life. ' In the ease of Jesus’ life St. John wanted to. make real, to others something that was thrillingly real to himself. NOT ONE SAD WORD. The Gospel of St. John was a radiantly happy book—a book with not one sad word in it. Indeed, some of the pathetic incidents in our liie had been omitted Then, again, there was no mention in St. John of the Eucharist, that solemn meal which the Lord took with his Disciples. Those people who declared that the Christian churches could never unite because they could never agree concerning the Eucharist might at least realise that St. John had nothing to say about it. Therefore the matter seemed hardly so important as to prevent the union of Christian people. One of the impressions which St. John tried to make was that Jesus was always the Master and the Judge, even of Pilate. There was not one word in the book to cause a sob or to arouse sympathy. The crucifixion itself was summed up in the simple terms, “ There they crucified Him.”

After dealing further with the Gospel of St. John, Dr Norwood said that, after all, each of the evangelists was speaking from his own point if view-. St. Matthew was always thinking of Jesus in relationship to the (inllilincnt of the prophecies, and lie based much of his work on the Old Testament. St. Mark told a graphic’ story of Jesus which was illustrative rather than discursive. If they wanted to picture Christ in the incidents in which he was concerned they should read Mark. Then, again, if they wished to read wonderful stories—parable stories such as that of the Good Samaritan—they should read St. Luke. Luke was very human, and loved to tell the stories which seemed to him so precious. RESTLESS YOUTH. For his own part, continued J)r Nor-, wood, he was sorry that the churches had followed too much the Old Testament traditions, with their symbols, rituals, and sacrifices of blood. They were all true, but they did not constitute the whole truth. If they wished to have a fuller conception of Jesus they must see what Jesus meant to their own age. The Old Testament did Wt contain the whole truth for present times.

Youth to-day was very restless, and in some instances, indeed, this restlessness amounted almost to insurrection. Young people had a fooling that in some way or other they had been wronged. They, should realise that ho. permanent good could come out of this (f ihere was going to he a better world world without a capacity for sacriliee. someone would have to stiller to bring about, that slate of affairs. It could not be clone by cheering, but only by corn - -

ago and failh. The call to follow Christ was not a punishment, but an invitation. Those who got most out of life were those who gave most without stopping to question the cost/