Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-10
PROSPERITY HELD
DANGEROUS TOU.S.
Bishop Darst Calls on Chris
tians to Purge Century of
LaWIeSSneSS.

"America-proud rich, powerful-is
standing in the sunlight of deadening
prosperity" Right Rev. Thomas D.
Darst, Episcopal Bishop of East Caro-
lima, warned last night in calling upon
Christians to purge the twentieth
century of the "lawlessneSs, laxity and
lust" which he declared threaten its
destruction.
Bishop Darst, who Is chairman of
the National Commission on EVANGELISM,
addressed the closing session of the
Brotherhood of st. Andrew before an
assembly of clergy and laymen in the
Church of the Epiphany. His appeal to
the Christian forces of America
climaxed new call to the Brotherhood
sounded throughout the five-day ses-
sions of the forty-second national con-
Vention of the Episcopal order The call
sounded first in the challenge that came
from the presiding bishop of the church,
Right Rev John G. Murray, was to save
the world from sin, from bitterness,
from materialism.
Cites Problems of Today.
To-day, Christ makes a survey Of His
world" said Bishop Darst. He shows us
the broken walls of our vaunted civili-
zation-our lawlessneSs, our ignorance,
our greed, our miserable divisions, our
substitutes for truth. He points out to us
the weary souls who are waiting for the
Light, the ignorant ones who do not
understand, and He bids us to go in
His name and in His power out where
the need lies, out where confused,
broken ones wait.
10 nf
harsh voices of sin, the whisperings of
lust and greed, the hysterical laughter
of a frivolous people. But Jesus hears
more than we hear. Underneath the
noise of the worlds superficial life, He
hears the tortured souls of men and
women crying out for God. And He is
waiting for you and me to answer that
cry. Are we brave enough and big
enough to face conditions?
1.-THE millions of people In America
today are wondering If we have any
solution for the ugly problems that law
lessness and laxity and lust have forced
upon our modern civilization. The great
need of the church today is not for a
new prayer book, but for a new and
fresh realization of it's mission in the
world
However optimistic we may be, how
ever sure we are that God stands be-
hind the shadow, keeping watch above
His own, we cannot get away from
the fact that the world is restless and
unhappy and in dire, tragic need OF
God. We are faced with the possibility
of new and greater wars. We see Christ
crucif1ed afresh day by day and wonder
If our neglect has made His sacrifice
vain thing.
United States Nearing Cross Roads.
"America-proud, rich, powerful
stands in the sunlight of a deadenins
prosperity Nearly 100000 of hei
people are frankly outside of any form
of organized religion and the remaining
50,000,000 are divided into more thar
200 divisions which emphasize differ.
ences, glorify interpretations, rejoice il
| tolerance. All the time, America swing.
| on to the cross roads, where her destiny
| for veal or woe will be decided.
America Is nearing the cross roads
and If the tragic history of the broker
nations of the past has any message
| for us, 1t is that America will Swins
down the broad road to ruin with the
| majority of her people unless we whC
| profess to be Christians come back tt
His services and under His banner leac
the people into the paths that make fol-
peace and power and the eternal pres
ence of God.
1.-THE people Of America are waiting
| for that leadership and are ready anC
willing to respond to it if the church
| Is big enough and fine enough to forge
herself in her new passion for the soul!
of men. The church must come dowr
from the glory of its sacramental noun
and remove the garment of its prid,
and exclusiveness and grid itself with
the coarse towel of service and ministel
| to common men,
| Bishop Darst closed with an appea
| to "go out with the realization that the
world needs God, looking upon the
problems that confront our civilization
not as signsfof defeat but as ringing
challenge from the very heart of God.