BREAKING Down of Barriers

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20044, 16 September 1939, Page 13

BREAKING Down of Barriers

THOSE of us who have reached middle life, have realised to the full that we have lived in an age of achievement and progress. When we were children there was such fear of steam traffic that a common sight was to see a man with a red flag preceding a steam roller to ensure a speed limit of four miles an hour. The young people of to-day do not deem it wonderful to see gigantic air machines which travel overhead at 200 miles an hour.

As we allow our thoughts to travel through the past we think of this and other great discoveries which have revolutionised life and relationship. We have been in some ways brought closer together, for as surely as distance has been annihilated and the arts and commerce brought to our very doors that all people might share them together, there should have grown up a sense of togetherness, of a common brotherhood and destiny.

Yet in the midst of all these advantages there is dismay as we find the vehicles of progress being prostituted to fan the flame of passion, to create destruction and discord, and to create greater barriers than our fathers ever knew.

As in bewilderment we ponder over this perplexing situation we long in our inmost hearts for a greater discovery still—a conquest of baser passions in mankind, a breaking down of the barriers which divide God’s children from one another and make it possible for all to rejoice in the right use and advantages of His gifts. “Peace On Earth” We have all heard of the drifting ailors on .the Amazon River appealing to a passing vessl for fresh water and being told to dip down heir buckets and drink to the fuL. Vhat they thought was open sea wa: i great fresh water stream; satisfaction was ready at hand. So nearly 2000 years ago a glorious announcement was made that God had found a way of peace, a means by which all barriers could be broken down' “I bring you good tidings of.grea Toy, which shall be to All people. Glory to God in the highest. Peace an earth—goodwill among men.” Christ was the peace bringer. Be'ore He left this earth He called upon His disciples to spread th> good tidings of peace amongst a” nations and according as this habeen done there has been established a bond of peace and brotherhood which has banished everything that makes for war. Yet the way of Christ, the pri"

Triumph of Righteousness

: p!es of love, have been rejected ’’he one power which cannot b - minsaid ha? been set aside; .a source of satisfaction close to hand and i' ; s unused, with the resultant world wide chaos

To-day a clarion call is being mndto men to recognise that there a”' higher things '■hat still cannot moved, that God is still God, throne?

which Divide God’s Children

may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, but His throne —of righteousness, justice and truth stands fast, and those who take sides with Him need have no doubt about the final issue when the stronghold of evil shall have been for ever overthrown. Wall of Partition

Paul the Opostle in his letter to the Ephesians calls upon us to rejoice in Him. He says: “Christ is our peace, who hath made both one, having broken down the wall of partition.” Paul was doubtless here referring to the wall between the court of the Gentiles and that of Israel in the ,-einple of Jerusalem, over which was inscribed a notice that beyond tluu barrier none might pass upon pain of death. It was symbolic of the bitter racial division between the Jew and aliens from the commonwealth o; Israel —Gentiles, Romans, Canaanites and Samaritans.

Christ, wo are told by Paul, broke down this wall of partition and made both one. Paul knew how his ov/n bitter opposition had broken down, and h'ow at Damascus, ho had been greeted with one he had aforetime hated, with Brother Saul, and from that day, he and those who were associated with him were one in Chris. Jesus.

Pauls racial and religious exclusiveness was i thing of the pas when Jesus was his friend and Saviour; he shared the mind <> Christ, who in the parable of the good Samaritan made a hero of a stranger; who commended the R-omar. centurion —a pagan officer of the army of occupatibn—with the words “Lo, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.”

There was no colour bar with Jesus Christ. The souls of Japanese. Chinese, Poles and Germans arc equally as precious as the Britis' or the Jew; the future of thespeoples is as important as our own Christ has broken down the wa't of separation, and when men ■ are willing to accept nis methods, peace will be the universal possession cmen. We may consider the progres: cowards this end slow, but let u not be lacking in faith. Our ifves ar bu. as a span long, while with Him •; thousand years are as a day, and hroughout the course of history—he long view reveals the triumph oi righteousness and downfall of evil Men of peace and goodwill work together with Him and rejoice together. There is no need now to amplify the fact of racial hatred, national a agonisms which cause division, ',h ppiness, constant strain and a Cation, a complex which claims for favoured nation a great place under the sun and denies it altogether to the neighbour, Christ alone

—the uniting influence, the practice the gospel of peace—is the only v?.y to get Together and break down the walls that divide.

As I write I think of the work of the great British and Foreign Bible

Society, spreading truth amongst all peoples and languages. It would be difficult to imagine an association of people more happy, successful and more cosmopolitan than that, and :t is a picture of what the world might be under the guiding principles of the Gospel of Christ. Barriers that Separate Us

Let us not imagine racial and national barriers are the only ones that separate us. Other divisions which should be broken down well may be responsible for the greater cleavage. Think Of the sbeial barriers —a worshipping of wealth, position, educatibn, and which is responsible for class warfare through denying to many the right to the amenities and comforts of life. When we are willing to build our social structure on Christ’s plan this division will break down also.

What about the home? It is well to lemember the words of King George V at his accession: “England’s greatness is built upon the homes of the people.” While the, British home remains a centre of Christian faith and practice, home affections and confidence united in Him who is our oeace, we need to beware of division.' here —husband and wife, parents and

Contributed by the Ministers’ Association

jhildrcn refusing to share their secrets, joys and troubles and living their lives apart. Give first place t the government of Christ and ther-" will be no need to be anxious over the future of our young folk.

The church itself needs the wal’ of division broken down. V/e deplore the sectarian barriers and rejoice that on the mission fields thesedivisions are disappearing and a!' are uniting as one Church of Christ. What an example for us at homeand what a call to get together and work together. What about the congregation? Ho often tlie work is hampered by p' 1 - ’udices. misunderstanding and u ihristlike behaviour; how often vail is built up of suspicion and r iroac’n which chill the F or minister and workers, L’t a’ the outsider whom we should seek * win by life and lip. On non-essential surely we can agree to differ and bsolidly together in our faith and following Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Redeemer. He is our peace. He has broken down the wall of ser aration. “Let us walk in the ligh' as He is in the Light and we sha' have fellowship with one anothe v and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”