Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-14
Methodist MESSAGE

fighting faith. It therefore Is not
surprising that the Council of
Bishops Of the Methodist Church,
meeting at Cleveland on the first
anniversary of Pearl Harbor, should
have issued message" Of militant
Christianity and patriotism. Such
announcement is we'll within the
tradition of the Wesleyan denomi-
nation in the United States. 1--WE
have been near to the heart of our
country from the time of her birth
and in every crisis Of her expanding
history" the bishops say. 1.-The
Methodist Church is historically and
intrinsically a part of that glorious
inner life Of the Nation that is the
true spirit of America We must
not forgo our responsibility for the
preservation of this continuing
spiritual heritage"
The authors of the message" then
quite frankly confess that: I'VE are
under no illusion regarding the I'M
Christlike character of war as a
method Of settling international dis
putes. Nor do we forget our own
shortcomings and sins relative to the
conditions that produced this strug-
gle" More directly to blame for the
contest, however, they find "a pagan
philosophy driven by un-Christian
motives and bent upon establishing
It's will upon mankind" The dis
tinction thus expressed, it may be
observed in passing, is fundamental
adherence. Jesus OF Nazareth and
the generality Of His loyal followers
have sought to achieve Righteousness,
fellowship and peace in the earth,
and the Axis aggressors by bitter
word and cruel deed are on record
against those sacred aims and ends.
The bishops prophetically declare:
"In the lurid light of this global con-
flict we see the outlines of mans
selfishness, secularism and pride.
But we also discern the
emerging vision Of a world fash
Toned after the mind of Christ and
worthy Of Him who died upon a
cross to redeem it and ever lives
to furnish the power to make it a
reality"
In other terms, Christ was never
more contemporary" The leaders Of
Methodism give it as their considered
Judgment that: There is enough
spiritual vitality in the world to
change the structure Of society. This
power needs to be modified. We
do now call upon our church in deep
humility and high dedication so to
bear the Christian witness that His
will may be done through u.s." How
compelling is the challenge implicit
in such a summons may be discovered
in the bishops appeal: Let every
Methodist examine his own heart
and answer before God If he has
given up every known sin; If the
love of Christ has cast out the blind
ness that keeps him from esteeming
all men as brothers, regardless of
race, color or creed; if the security
of his own economic status has made
him Indifferent to the agony OF men
and women and little children who
have only a crust Of bread and a
corner to weep in = =. Our boys
are dying on battlefields in every
continent Theirs is no light and
casual gift to a better world. It is
their all, their supreme sacrifice, and,
falling, they ask US if we are willing
to live in Christian self-sacrifice for
the better day for which they so
CALAMITY die. We shall not build
a new world order at any lesser
cost"
Thousands of Americans who are
affiliated with other branches of the
universal church and still other
thousands who perhaps have no
religious association of any sort will
rejoice in the beauty, the earnest
ness, the stalwart courage and the
noble generosity Of the Methodist
message" from which these ex-
cerpts are quoted. The whole state
ment deserves careful study. Only
great community could have
brought 1t forth, and only a glori-
ously blessed people is competent to
receive and fulfill it.