The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-19
GREAT PROBLEMS
COAFRONTAMERIGA
Christian Church WIZ Have
to Do It's Part IN
Solving Them.

RerDr- Charles L. White, executive
secretary Of the American Baptist
Home Mission society. writing in the
Missionary Review of the world has
he following to say about Americas
Crisis and Opportunity rs
The nineteenth century saw Re.
public Of thirteen states leaping riy.
erD, sweeping across praries and over
mountatns-push on 10 the Pacific and
northward 70 Alaska opening the way
for peoples climbing toward freedom.
What may not the twentieth century
witness in the intensive growth of the
same area?
The Christian churches OF America
can DO through their membership and
organizations within the lifetime OF
this generation exactly as much as
God can do with the human. tools at
His disposal Shah these tools be
dull, poorly tempered, weakly made.
or beaten out on the church anyils
under the hammer of divine truth, and
then hardened, sharpened, and test.
ed? The slogan Of the churches of
the present century may well be:
Have the tools ready; God will give
thee work. Some tools must: be sharp
to cut away the underbrush.. Others
must be made to plant the seed, to cul.
tivate the soil, and still others to gar.
ner the wheat
What are the peoples among whom
our churches must labor? Formerly
they were alike; now they are unlike.
Nothing In the history Of the world
family foretold the multitudes who
have come from many lands to get the
gold, the freedom, and the blessings OF
America =
Among the first group OF selectmen
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were
those who carried out aSyote of the
town meeting to build road extend.
ing a few miles westward into the will
derness. When they reported their
work and the expense they were asked
why they built SO long road. The
chairman answered: While we were
doing the work we thought we might
as well build 1t as far as road would
ever be needed in that direction" And
are Christian workmen of today hold.
ing views as short sighted and as in
commensurate with Americas future
greatness in population, material In.
crease, intellectual growth, and spirit.
ual influence?
Acentury Hence.
A hundred years from now how
many inhabitants will dwell, within our
borders What dangers will have been
faced and escaped? What civil wars
may threaten our land? What foreign
complications may rise to embarrass
us? Great social and Industrial up
heayals may break forth like slumber-
ing volcanoes and try our, souls. New
and sudden national and international
tests may come TO our democracy.
Dangerous caste systems may be pro.
duced by pride and wealth and AFRO
gance. Heavy chastisements may be
visited upon the land IL its people for
get God Painful social reconstruc-
tions viii appear II men trample the
Golden Rule under their feet. These
questions suggest hundred others,
that rise to perplex American churches
and to confoundi not a few Christians
as they contemplate the spiritual work
that must be done and grid themselves
for the strenuous tasks ahead.
The immensity Of the task to make
Christian even the cities in America
is reflected In the experience of man
who notes the different nationalities
he may meet in a single week. On
Monday morning a Rumanian ashman
cleans his cellar and Pole white
washes its wallis. A Hollander prunes
his vines; a German plumber comes