South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-18

Rev. G. w. Allison Defends
City, But Says Its Prob
lens Yet UnSOIVed.

The sermon at Hope Presbyterian
chanel Yesterday morning was upon
the theme. The Redemption OF the
CITY" and was a study OF the spirit
nal condition OF the modern city.
The minister. George William Ali
son. in speaking on this theme said
among other things:
while there is no social fact so
striking as the rapidity with which
modern cities have grown. we can
not go back beyond the time when
there were cities. Archaeologists
have unearthed cities which had
performed their deeds and died long
before the dawn of any written rec
ords which we now possess. There
are cities in Peru whose story will
never be known. The ancient cities
OF the valleys of the Nile and Tisgris
Euphrates rivers are very meagerly
known.
The city was originally formed in
the ancient days chiefly for the pur-
pose of preparedness and protection
against enemies. and were always
walled Palestine in the time or
Jesus was a land OF numerous cities,
in which ne spent most Of his min
/ istrv Paul journeyed TO the cities
! OF Asia Minor. Greece, and westward
to Rome. The history Of civilization
might be written in the history of
the leading cities OF the world; think
but of Babylon. Nineveh. Jerusalem,
Athens. Rome. etc. And so today
with Paris, London, Berlin, New
+ York. The modern city is almost
uniformly the creation Of economic
forces rather than mere self-protec-
! ton against other tribes. The city
represents cooperative effort in pro-
duction.
And the city Is so newly with US,
that we have hardly learned to ad-
| inst ourselves to its conditions; we
have but faced its problems. not
solved them. And the supreme test
of Christianity will be its ability to
mould the life of the sordid. mate
realistic. energetic city of today into
| the new Jersusalem' not with gold
en- streets. but with civic justice and
righteousness. The city as it is to-
/ day is the battle-ground of the forces
OF human life in the moral and spir-
itual world. 1t is mixed rolled
turbid stream. Can it be clarified
In most cases the city may he said
to present the same forces which
were represented on a four corners
| of Toronto church, n school, a
! legislative hall and a saloon. These
were slangily referred TO as dispens-
ing education. legislation, salvation,
and damnation. Every force in hu-
man life. morally and spiritually
! age city and usually in intensified
form. But with all Of it's vices. and
I believe contrary TO popular suppo-
sition. the average life in the city Is
morally better than that of the rural
districts. The city is progressive and
better governed and cared for ma
terially and spiritually than the
country. The city with it's modern
! sanitation is healthier than the cOun-
try. also. on the material side
American cities need to be shamed
pearance. they are so unnecessarily
ugly and shameless about IL.
But after all. the city's value and
rank is not TO be determined by the
size OF its population, the amount OF
it's bank clearings. the beauty of its
streets and public and private build
| ings: il is rather to be determined
| by it's contribution TO the comfort
and virtue Of it's citizens! And here
| is where I wish 10 strike home with
the emphatic fact that the church is
a necessity in properly attaining the
highest object of the city's existence
There are many who feel that
christianity is applicable TO the small
| community; but that il will not work
in the great mass-centers of today
| They forget that it was in it's origin
born in the cities Of Palestine. Jesus
Christ so constantly lived in the
| crowd, that when He went alone il
was so unusual that il made good
news for the reporters Of his day, II
was the multitude that moved Him