Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-30

Let US go forward to make these SUI
preme moments sovereign over our flu
ture. The Red Cross committee and
the Red Cross public have rediscover-
ed the Holy Grail. -...-
The Red Cross and Democracy
We are sending our soldiers to Eu-
rome. and with them this society of
mercy and help. For once the Red
Cross and the army represent the
same purpose, the same ideal. Th,y
stand for democracy and Christianity.
In these days of rapid changes in all
departments of thought and life, in
spite of the fact that Christianitysnec-
essarily implies democracy, there are
many things to cause Apprehension. we
are prone to forget that through our
failures we learn that truth only grows
clear in the world through the slow
working out of it's inadequate forms.
Christianity has never been so great
a success as now. Never before were
there so many eager to lay down their
lives for their fellow men. There was
never a. time when the Christianity of
the Christ had greater power than~it
thrown back upon things basic. men
have been forced to grapple with the
great issues of life and death and des-
tiny. From different points of view
they have come to realize the fact that
the life of man is fundamentally spirit
ual and that the world has a spiritual
end. The war has brought a new sense
Of the reality of spiritual values.
Names matter not at all. 1t is the re-
vealing of God in men that matters.
Christ came not to destroy. but to full
fill. 1t is the spirit of the more abund-
ant life.
This is day of judgment 1t is not
Christianity that has failed, but the
dreams OF our materialistc civilization
these are tested and found wanting. What
we have been largely living on in
Christendom for centuries is a combina-
tion Of faith and force, worship of God
and mamm0n. In individual souls Chris
tianity has flourished and borne fruit,
but for the ills of the world itself it is az,
almost untried catholcon. Our civiliza-
ton has ceased to be God-conscicus. We
have been so busy, so preoccupied with
the external things of life that we have
forgotten what life itself is for and to
what end it shall be lived. We have
forgotten that the material is only of
value as the instrument of the spiritual.
When this truth is acknowledged men
will see the face of God.
Though the struggle of law and equity
and freedom against anarchy and injus-
tice and slavery is age-long, and though
the former has seemingly been vanquish-
ed in many a fight, presently democracy
will be triumphant, building up the King
dom on earth as it is in heaven. The i'm
ceaseless effort of human aature itself.
Self-sacrifice. not sef-assertion. the Civ
ing of love, not the claiming power, that
is the redeemng thought of the world.
AS a united nation we see the Issue
clearly. The democracies of the world
are gathered about the last stronghold
of autocracy. We are going overseas In
answer only to the high call of duty-not
for conquest Of land or commerce. We
are not fighting to triumph for ourselves.
We are going to fight for democracy and
for civilization and for mankind-for the
enfranchisement of the world.
and we are down on our knees to Him
whose purposes embrace every man and
every nation. We know not when the end
will come or what sacrifice and suffering
we may have to undergo before the ideal
of Jesus becomes actualty Two thous-
and years ago he brought up this gospel
of the brotherhood OF man. Today we
see it about to be realized. Seeing clearly
at last the truth that every man and ev-
cry nation owes his life to liberty and to
mankind, we have thrown ourselves into
the sacred struggle willingly, eagerly,
whole heartedly, determined to do our
part in forever freeing the human race
from tyranny.
The league Of peace has come sooner
than any Of us dared to hope. The sacre
union into which we have entered will not
be dissolved until the peace Of the world
is forever assured. The issue Of this last
and final war shall be the last and final
peace The brotherhood Of the world is
at hand.
The spirit and purpose Of democracy
and Christianity, of fraternity and broth
erhood, is represented by the Red Cross.
The whole world is marshalled under the
banner of this society to which, power
full and peaceful sign the world looks
for sympathy, inspiration ard help.
Wherever men fight. wherever the glare
and roar Of war are heard this white
banner with It's red cross. goes, carrying
with it the heart of the man Of Galilee.
the Principle Of the Sermon on the Mount.
1t is today the one symbol In the world
that holds the minds and hearts and wills
OF struggling humanity close to the heart
Of God; 1t will yet save Christianity and
civilization.