Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-11-22
-Four Minute Talks
BY WILLIAM H. BAWDEN
THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT

We have so gotten into the habit
of placing the Golden Age ahead of
us that we forget hat it may not be
so far ahead in the future as we
imagine. We have spoken of present
day Christians as belonging to the
church militant, and of them as join
Ing the church triumphant when they
die. The events of the past few
years have demonstrated the folly of
regarding ourselves as the church
militant today-we are anything but
that. We car no longer sing with
such assurance as formerly: Like a
mighty army moves the church OF
God" It is not so moving!
Humanity has struck it's tents and
once more is on the march," remarks
Genera SHUTS. And the Christian
church is bestirring itself that 1t may
march at the head of the van. and be
ready to fight If necessary. There is
no other meaning to the great Inter
church World Movement than that
the Christian church intends to be-
come militant. With such a world
wide program, and with such a mar
shalling of forces to put 1t into oper-
alton, at las the church of God Is
beginning to move like a mighty
army.
Well, If the church Is actually in
these days becoming militant, then 1t
may soon become triumphant. For 1t
Almighty that the church shall for
ever fight and never finally win.
Nearly two thousand a ago Jesus
of Nazareth proclaimed that the
kingdom of God was at hand, n
called on men to repent of everything
in their lives that stood In the way
Of its coming and to believe the good
news.
But the Christians of the past W
milleniums have not believed the
good news, or at least, perhaps pro-
Tossing so to do, ave lot backed up
such belief by the kind of life that
compels 1t 10 come true. We have
di~sbelieved, and have pushed eff the
golden age until the world to come
after the grave. But nearly two
thousand years ago the Christ pro-
claimed that it was then at hand! 1t
Is inconceivable that he intended his
followers to daily with that PROPOSE
ton. He expected them to make good
on 1t. If their faith q been OF the
mustard seed variety, of the right
kind altho small, the kingdom would
actually have come long ago.
But present day Christians do not
believe that. No more than the first
u IA Nv NV -
lieve that the Lord meant what he
said when he proclaimed that the
kingdom was nigh. The Interchurch
World Movement Is the first sign that
the Christian church has exhibited in
two thousand years that 1t thought
the Lord was in earnest when he
spoke those historic words. The slo-
gan of a few years ago OF some por-
tons of the church, The world for
Christ In this generation" seemed an
IDLE dream. Now we are taking five
years to marshall our forces and re-
sources, and then planning to march
to final victory at once.
Why not? Why not the church
triumphant before some of us have
tasted of death? Is there any man
hardy enough to say that he does not
want to live to see the kingdom, with
It's limitless blessings for humanity?
Yet what stands in the way? Simply
the general unwillingness' to ascertain
and put into operation what God
asks men to do. We have tried force,
and 1t has failed. We have tried
diplomacy, and It has failed. War
and craftsmanship, mans brute
strength and mans mental grasp on
have to try love, low for God as our
Father, love for our fellows as our
brothers. Could the gulf stream of
the Golden Rule flow a little closer
to the shores of humanity. with Its
favoring breezes and It's genial
warmth. dropping mankind would be
revivifed, a new and real strength
would come to the race; we should
renew our strength, we should mount
up with wings as eagles, we should
run and not be weary. we should walk
and not faint.