Norwich bulletin., 1913-01-27
PERSONAL RELIGION
 IN A SOCIAL AGE
Topic by Rev. F. J. Bohanan at Y. M.
 C. A. Meeting.

1 Rev. F. J. Bohanan, rector of St. Andrews Episcopal church of Greene
 vile gave a stirring address on Fer 1 sonal Religion in a Social Age before l the mems meeting at the Y. M. c. A. l Sunday afternoon. Allyn L. Brown presided at the meeting and General stereoptieon for the hymns which were appropriately illustrated with colored slides. Prayer was offered by Rev. MT. 1 Bohanan. George A. Turner gave two and Tarry With Me My Saviour. In this age which is distinctly so- ciaI age. said MT. Bohanan. when all are interested in the uplft of human of warning. The dieing Saviour stretched on the cross said to the die ing penitent thief: To-day shalt thou
 be with me in Paradise This is my text How often do we apply this
 thought in our life, as we apply the parables of Christ.
 There was a time when the Chris tian church gave little regard to others,
 his own salvation. But now through
 the working of the spirit of Christ we
 believe not only in personal work, but
 in social Christianity.
 Christ furnished not only the bread
 of life for the hungering spiritual soul
 but food for bodily hunger. The church
 must have her bread lines and her
 philanthropies and care for the bodily
 d.
 in determining our future destinieS.
 The trouble lies in the fact that we
 grasp but one side of truth at one
 time. Truth is like a sphere of which
 we can see but one side no matter
 from what position we regard it and
 of course we believe the side which
 we do not see to correspond to that
 which we do see. In St. Pauls epist1e
 burdens" We must help each other
 for 'I am my brothers keeper. l" In
 the same chapter a little further along
 it says, Every man shall bear his own tradiction; two separate statements with opposite intent. It is not two separate truths but two sides of the one great truth The whole truth is not in holding to the one nor the other, nor in a compromise, but in holding to both at the same time In this age characterized by the work for the other fellow, in social uplift. other side; of putting good works in the place of living faith The appli- cation of the social movement Is pure lY physical and material What are the ganiZations doing for that most inn portant part of man-tae soul? Per haps we thing that social betterment win result in moral betterment
 This is a religious age-an age of great activity on the part of the church and other organizations in good works. But the doctrine of these good works is humanitarianism- Christianity re- one can find good works without Christianity The parable of the Good Samaritan is a good doctrine told by the Master himself. and lived by the parable he told, and lived. The sal vation of society depends upon the salvation of the individuals who make up society. through the relation of the individual soul to God. We can never save society when we ignore this basic principle of Christianity. The stupen- dous work of digging the great Pan anna canal Is accomplished by remov- ing one shOvelfui of earth at a time.
 While the whole modern world is watching the working out of this wholesale scale of uplift we should see Calvary, with Christ, the greatest upilftef, upiifted on the cress, the sol- dfers, the rulers. the scribes and Phar- fsees and the vast crowd of curious or indifferent gathered about him. They called to him t0 come down from the cross. But he did not come down, to take Up the great work of social up- lift of which there was so great a need at that hour. He stayed on the. cross and gave His life and blood for a far greater work; the saving of the indi- vfdual souls of humanity. The great est blessing may not arise from our philanthropies for the souls needs are just as great and pressing as the phy- sicai needs It may be that a kind word. an act of love, of mercy, of for givenesss may accomplish just as much towards the social uplift of humanity as the phyeical gift With the blessed hope before us of the everla sting life to come, shall the church make social uplift it's sole aim To do good for ones fellow men one must first be good.
 What did the penitent thief ever do for social uplift? Nothing. he had worked against society. Yet to him was given the greatest gift which ever came from God to man. those words of assurance and joy, Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise