"BRIDGE-BUILDERS"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 6, 22 January 1937, Page 11

"BRIDGE-BUILDERS"

. The First Oxford Group Film PALMERSTON SCREENING Since the week-end there have been in Palmerston North five members of an Oxford group team, three from Australia and two from Papua, some oi whom came to New Zealand with team mates who had been attending an Oxford group gathenng in Melbourne at Chnstmas. A unique oppoitunity was afforded memhers and sympathisers of the movement when a practical demonstration of what has been accomplished in Denmark in twelve months was given by means of a film entitled "Bridge Builders," screened for the first time in the Dominion at the State Theatre. It was an amazing revelation of a spiritual revolution on a colossal scale which made a profound impression on those privileged to witriess it. Before the screening brief statements were made by a Hawke's Bay sheep-farm^r and an Australian business man, as to what the Oxford group is and what it stands f?r. It had been called the greatest bridge builder in the world and in tae opinion fo a Danish statesinan was a spiritual revolution, building spiritual bridges between individuals and nations, bridging hate and envy, national superionty and the suspicions and fears that divide the nations. An American woman who had been in Ollerup at the time the film' was ecreened told the story of how the Oxford group had ;gpne to Denmark, stating that in the picture the audience would see sure evidence of a nation becoming conscious of God's plan for itself. The miracle of Denmark had been possible because one woman over 80 years of age saw that spiritual bridges hetween nations would end diplomatic intrigue, fear and suspicioh which divide, and make world peace a vague dream. Through her decision to let God run her life the'Prime Minister of Norway becaine conyince4 and invited 100 of his own friends to meet a team of Oxford groupera. By the end of one ^eek . thousands. of Norwegians hecame consciouB of God's plan. A newspaper editor in Oslo surrendered his life to God then made p'ublic apology for the bitter feeling he had promoted in his newspaper against Denmark. Because of this...action a team was invited to go to Denmark and "Bridge Builders" was -a,n evidence of what had happened in one year. Between 14,000 . and 15,000 people had come froin all over Denmark in special trains, by air and in sbips. Three hundured had cycled 90 miles from Copenhappn to attend a reiigious gathering. Three hundred and twenty Dutch came by special ship from Holland, a ship load of Danes had come from Jutiand, all arriving, not to see football or watch a race, but to . bear that Gad has a plan and that, when man listens God speaks. In closing, the speaker said the world had never been in such peril and the only way out was by a spiritual revolution in which ordinaiy men and women would become wholly committed to God's plan to become an army of life changers round the world. When God captures men, men capture the world for God. the speaker concluded. It was mentioned that the movement had spread round the world and was growing in Palmerston ;Nprth as well for those who desired to get jn touch. The musical motif of the film was the group song of the same name, the ehorus of which is "To build together what none shall sever, bridges fi'om man to man, the whole round earth to span." At this first anniversary flags of many- nations intermingled. ' Dr. Frank Buckman, founder of ifie movement said' Denmark's achievement ' offered a challengp, whoeVer- held the secret of changlng individuals also held the secret of changing nations, the final sc'ene of an nnfinished. bfidge, bearing mute testimony of tbe wofk to be done.