"RELIGION FOR MONDAY MORNING"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 125, 14 November 1941, Page 14

"RELIGION FOR MONDAY MORNING"

4 Rev. Harry Squires Provides It On Sundays

OW can radio be used most effectively to reach the average listener, the man in the street who may be a regular church-goer but who quite likely isn’t? By broadcasts of church services, by regular devotional sessions, or by straight-from-the-shoulder talks with as little formal religion about them as possible? The Rev. Harry Squires, Wellington City Missioner, who conducts a Sunday morning session from 2ZB under the title "A Religion for Monday Morning" is all in favour of the straight-from-the-shoulder talk. His theory is that the man in the street isn’t interested in the formalities of organised religion-"We clergymen are always pointing out that less than five per cent, of the people go to church," . he says. "Accordingly, it’s the 95 per cent. who don’t go to church for some reason or other that we must set out to interest." The time when "A Religion for Monday Morning" goes on the air is interesting. It is 8.15 in the morning, and there is a reason for it. "My theory," says Harry Squires, "is that the listener who: hasn’t come across my session before tunes in to 2ZB on Sunday morning at that time hoping for anything but religion. He may be looking for a talk on sport or more likely for some pleasant music. In any case, before he knows it, he’s listening in to me. And the chances are I'll. be telling him a few home truths."

"I’m talking to the man who has become alienated from religion, whether because he has tried orthodox forms and found them wanting, or simply because he is ignorant of what it means," he says. "That sort of chap doesn’t want or understand a broadcast of a church service. In a word he doesn’t want the cakes and fancy sandwiches of religion; he wants the bread and butter. And that is what I give him, My job is to let him see that religion is not a matter of a special coat we put on on Sundays or a peculiar manner of speaking to somebody we want a favour from. It’s something to help us live decently all through the week."

Letters of Appreciation That his simple, straight-forward talks are appreciated by listeners is shown by the letters Harry Squires receives, from as far south as Christchurch to Te Kuiti in the north. He receives all sorts of letters, a few of them asking for help in a personal problem, but most of them merely expressing thanks for a message which has brought some measure of comfort and help. His session from 2ZB is only a small part. of Harry Squires’s working week. His city mission job is a more than full time one; having worked in South London slums he knows the real meaning of work among the under privileged. He has made a fairly close study of religious broadcasting in ,England, and has a great admiration for the farsighted policy of the BBC in such matters. "Radio is going to play a bigger part in religion than most of us realise" he points out. "It is the only medium which can reach into the home of every man, quite regardless of creed. It is the only medium which can bring religion to the man who is ignorant of what it means, and the only medium which can present it intelligently to the man who is suspicious of it."