“BROTHERHOOD.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2598, 26 June 1923, Page 2

“BROTHERHOOD.”

SERMON BY THE REY. FRANK McDonald. At the local Presbyterian Church on Sunday night, the Rev. Frank McDonald spoke on the subject of “Brotherhood.” His remarks were based on the text: “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision or uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” (Col. TIT. 11). Mr McDonald said no word holds the modern mind with a firmer grip than that of brotherhood. It was woven into the constitutions and names of our social organisations and covenants. It had bitten deeply in the minds and consciences of the people by the tragic consequences of the Great War. The whole conception of brotherhood is traced back to a single and deep spring in the saying of JeSus: “One is your Master and all ye are brethren.” The word brotherhood was the master word of the early Christian church. He referred to Peter’s brief counsel, “Love the brotherhood.” To-day brotherhood is wlmt the world is seeking, but there can be no true brotherhood except through Christ and a common belief in the Fatherhood of God —a common and spiritual kinship as it is the spirit that unites. It will one day embrace all mankind. Antagonism of race had sundered men but in Christ they had been united. We speak of a “white Australia,” said the speaker, “and seek to prevent the influx of alien races from the East and we do right for those races have not accepted Christianity and their moral and spiritual ideate are not ours and their conduct among us would be a danger to our best life. But we shall not be able to keep them out for ever. Shall they come as brothers or aliens ? The answer and hesponsibility rests upon us. The logical and the necessary thing was the evangelisation of the heathen nations. There is mo hope for our western civilisation unless we do. The future peace and prosperity of the world lies in the spread of Christian brotherhood. The antagonism of culture was another barrier. Referring-to the social barrier, the preacher said we speak today of the breach between capital and labour, rich and poor, employer and amployee, class and class. But it is narrow compared with the chasm which separated the freemen and slaves of Paul’s day. The bondsmen then were chattels. The master held the power of life and death and the slave, had no rights but those antagonisms were reconciled in Christ and men learned • love as brothers. Other methods brotherhood have been tried, said the preacher. Men have been proud of a common citizenship or have, boasted of certain ethical or intellectual ideals, or have preached a doctrine of Imperialism, but that is no brotherhood. To-day we have the proletariat preaching the brotherhood of common interests against the capitalists —a brotherhood in name only and a danger to the world as great as that which came through the military aims of Germany or the aggressive policies of Eastern nations. In a mere class union there is no hope for the world. It wears the features of brotherhood but it is not brotherhood at all. Statsmeu, reformers and socialists of every brand should know that the one hope of humanity is a brotherhood in Christ and until that is recognised brotherhood does not come within the range of practical politics. The world’s dream and desire for a common fellowship is realised only in Christ. A new relationship between God and man and man and man of which the Hebrew Apostle spoke was required. Only as far as Christ is in us and as we abide in Him shall we personally be able to withstand temptations and uiibrotherly thought and conduct. Apart from this realisation we shall .-lip back into'the slime and greed and hate which makes brotherhood a mockery.