The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-10
Sunday School Lesson

IOOL LEOSOH
horror of war and a lack of clear
"ealization of the need of desperate
measures to prevent war arising in
tie future.
For a WarleSS World
Now, fortunately, the psychology
of the situation has changed and
nations and peoples are daring again
to hope and work for a warless
world. America has given interest
ing leadership in the movement for
the outlawry of war, and number
of nations have signed pact to that
end. There are still dangerous lin
itations and reservations in connec-
ton with that movement of out
lawry, but the emergence in world
politics of emphasis upon that pro-
gram is itself profoundly hopeful.
Here in our lesson we approach
the whole matter of war from a
deeper and more thoroughly moral
standpoint. War finds its roots ulti-
mately in a warlike spirit.
If every individual were enlight-
ened and peaceful, there would be
no such thing as war. If in the heart
of every man was the supreme pur-
pose to love his fellow men, and all
the emphasis in personal and ma
tional life were upon love, the abo-
lition of war would be inevitable.
The individual may seem to count
for little in international affairs,
and we know perfectly well that
many men who abhorred war and
bloodshed, who were essentially
peaceable and kindly, participated
in the last war because of what they
deemed their duty in the crisis and
because they felt that the future
of democracy in the world was at
stake.
Great Task Ahead
The great war came as the result
of long course of wrong thinking
and wrong action. Love and right
eousness had not dominated the af-
fairs of the nations in their govern
mentS and in the activities of these
governments in relation to one
and her. But the great task in the
world is to establish forces in the
individual units of society that will
change these ways Of thinking and
acting, that will transform our So
cial and political ideas, and that
will give us type of officials and
rulers more in harmony with the
spirit of love and peace. 1t is this
that constitutes the Importance of
the truth of our lesson and its APP
peal for peaceable, loving attitudes.
Notice how far this lesson goes.
1t does not merely inculcate love
and peace, but it inculcates love
even toward those who are hate
full. 1t enjoins peaceable attitudes
toward those who are not them
selves peaceful.
1t reminds us that good is not
something that simply stands over
against evil, but that good is a great
aggressive constructive force for
overcoming evil, and that it is the
privilege and duty of those who as
sumo a Christian attitude in life
to overcome evil with good.
If we were to dwell upon this,
it would be to emphasize not so
much it's inherent SoundnesS as the
evidence of its truth as a practical
proposition. We have before us al
most every day the evidences Of the
failure of the greatest war In his
tory to achieve the very things for
which it was fought.
Looking Into History
When we look over the whole
range of history we see how good
has conquered evil and how things
that seemed weak, even in their
rightness, have ultimately tri-
umphed over the things that seemed
mighty in wrong.
Napoleon was reported to have
said that God is on the side of the
great battalions," but he discovered
before the end of his day that Je-
sus of Nazareth was far greater
world conqueror than himself or any
of the great military leaders who
had been ambi iious for world con-
quest. Again and again history
tells this story of the breakdown of
the great battalions while the power
of the still small voice of truth and
Righteousness grows in accomplish
ment.
1t is not easy to have faith in
the power of love, and it is less easy
to put ones faith into practice in
the crucial moments when the power
of our enemies seems great. But
the hope of the world is in attain
ing to the faith in love, that Paul
had both in theory and practice
and that he commends so strongly