Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-23
BEGINNING. OF ENp9


Spiritual Unity Through Sacrificial
Suffering" by Charles S. Mcfarland,
general secretary of the Federal Coun-
Gil of the Churches of Christ in Amer
present world war does not presage
the end of the world, as so many
earnest Christians believe and teach,
but the beginning of a new order a
new life, lin the world. The coming
Of which Jesus spoke as following hard
upon the time when nation should
rise against nation, when there should
be upon the earth distress of nations,
mems hearts failing them for fear"
was coming with power and great
glory; in powerful judgment upon
the old order and in the glory of the
new. The present crisis is regarded
as a similar coming.
We are not to say, with easy-going
flippancy, that the war means the
failure of Christianity. Christ does
not stand before PLATE: PLATE stands
before Christ; and Christ is saying
again, This is your hour and the
power of darkness; but We shall see the
Son of Man, coming with power"
Christian institutions have failed only
in SO far as they have failed to be
Christian. Tt is not that their ideals
have been found wanting; it is not
that their message has been untrue;
it is because they are human, and be-
ing human, have faltered; and they
have faltered for much the same rea
son that the allied nations have failed
up to this ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS they have
been wretchedly divided"
We are not surprised, therefore, that
y Oh 1nI hot hn o1esfH OA inf mi
sign of our day and generation u.s. that
while at the immediate moment the
powers of darkness seem to prevail, we
may witness the steady, largely I'M
seen, unificatioh of righteousness"
This hope is begotten of a very gen.
eral movement toward unity which is
taking place among the nations at war.
The chaplains in France, having their
faith purged as by fire, have changed
the attitude of the French people and
the French government toward relig-
ion THE Free churches OF Great
Britain, for the first time in their his
tory have made a movement towards
effective and permanent federation"
A representative group in the Neither
lands asks that delegation be sent to
render help in bringing their Christian
forces together. Australia has organ
lied federal council of churches.
From, all of these war sconrged lands
comes news of closer fraternity and
real fellowship in service.
In view of these things the dream Of
one church allowing for diversity in
unity does not seem fanciful; and the
deliverance of the council of thirty
denominations which met in Washing
ton at. the beginning of the, war is
thought to furnish a sufficient creed
for the united church. These deliver
ances are. in part. as follows: "As
members of the Church of Christ the
hour lays upon US special duties"
"To purge our own hearts clean of
arrogance and selfishness;
ITO steady and inspire the nation;
ITO testify to our fellow Christians
in every land most of all to those from
whom for the time we are estranged,
our consciousness of unbroben unity
in Christ:
ITO unite in the fellowship of SER
vice multitudes who love their enc
mics and are ready to join with them
in rebuilding the waste places as soon
as peace shall come;
ITO keep alive the spirit of prayer,
that in these times of strain and sor-
row men may be sustained by the cor
seriousness of the presence and power
of God;
ITO care for the welfare of our
young men in the army and navy, that
they may be fortified in character and
made strong to resist temptations
ITO protect the rights of conscience
against every attempt to invade them;
ITO maintain our Christian institu-
tons and activities unimpaired, that
the soul of our nation may be nourish-
ed and renewed through the worship
and service of Almighty God;
ITO keep the open mind and the for
ward look, that the lessons learned in
war may not be forgotten when comes
that just and sacred peace for which
we pray;
above all, to call men everywhere
to new obedience to the will of our
Father God, who in Christ has given
himself in supreme sef-sacrifice for
the redemption of the world, and who
invites us to share with him his min
istry of reconciliation"
IT. A. w.