Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-05-30
The opportunity of the church IL
,,as,,o,soi Tho church has a chance

universal. The church has chance
to do the work for Christ at home.
II has a chance also to do valiant
service for the Master abroad as we'll.
The influx of aliens into America pre-
sent a foreign mission problem and
opportuuity to the church in the
homeland. To our shores there are
rushing millions of men and women
and children from the four corners
of the earth. The list of the nation
alities that have come to make their
abode with us is startling. They are
of all classes and adherents to null
titude of creeds. The languages that
are spoken round about us remind us
of the confusion of tongues at the
tower of Babel. The nationalities OF
the peoples remind us Of the famous
congregation that heard Peter at
Pentecost. And all these peoples
flocking to our shores provide the
greatest opportunity that any church
can conceive or that any church has
had forced upon 1t. If we can so
mould these diverse peoples into the
unity of the Christian fellowship and
suffuse their minds and hearts and
souls with the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ SO that they shall seek
Righteousness before all else in life,
then shall we have accomplished the
mightiest work that any church ever
undertook. The opportunity of the
church at home is sublime. 1t Is no
less stupendous abroad. The very
evils that in an economic way are
affecting the peoples on the other
side of the world are the opportunity
of the church of Jesus Christ The
awful famine in China and the like
catastrophes in Russia and in other
parts of the world are the opportun-
ity of the church. Heretofore alto
gether too largely in the heather ESQ
called) mind Christianity has been
inSeparably associated and linked
with opium and whisky and beer and
infidelity and aggression and aggran-
dizement. The nations Of the East
have felt the curse OF the Christian
civilizations of the Occident. And
mistaking the wickedness OF civiliza-
tons representatives for the simple
truth of Jesus Christ they have had
very little sympathy with Christianity.
And we cannot be too harsh In our
Judgment of them. But happily this
feeling of antagonism is passing slow
ly away. And if in this hour of their
need America and the Christian ma
lions of the West shall show the Chi
nese the spirit of helpfulness and OF
disinterested service in the name and
under the ministry of Jesus Christ
we may open the way to the conquer
ing of China for Jesus. And what
is true of China is true of other lands.
The conditions may be different, but
the opportunity is the same. The
whole world is awaking. We are on
the threshold of a universal awaken
ing the like of which the world has
never seen before. 1t is the oppor-
tunity of the church and 1t Is uni
versal
In the face of this opportunity the
church has universal responsibilities.
1t is impossible for us to fold our
hands in selfish ease and be true to
the command of our Master. The re-
sponsibility of the church at home Is
so to transform America that 1t shall
be safe haven for the oppressed,
the ambitious of every land. We
must make America fit to do the
work that God has destined her to
perform. The church is under d.
vinely imposed obligation to trans
form the world. And first of all we
must transform the individuals IN
the world. We need also social
transformation But no social trans
formation is at ell possible until we
shall have gotten the individuals
right with God. Nc, man will have
realizing sense of his social obliga-
tions until he has had his soul thrilled
with the salvation of God in Jesus
Christ. Contrariwise, while we are
saving individuals we ought not to
relax our efforts to reform society so
that we shall have no evil economic
or political conditions. This trans
it must be also religious. No mere
system of ethics will ever keep the
world straight. Men must have a
firm grip on the religious verities be-
fore than can be sure OF themselves
or the world be sure of them. The
universal responsibility Of the church
is under the guidance and the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ to effect
these transformations.
The church must accept these
responsibilities. She cannot do other
wise. Possessed of her vision of the
Lord and blessed with an expert
mental realization of the effectiveness
of His Gospel it is her duty as 1t
ought to be her joy to accept the OPP
portunities for eternal service that
the Lord has prepared for her and
measure up to them.