Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-09-10
Toward Unity And
Peace

Il CdCC
In the September issue of
congregational Minnesota" it is
emphasized that "when we truly
seek to understand others we
awaken in them a desire to I'M
derstand U.S." The complete ar
ticle follows:
The greatest achievement of the
General Council of our churches
which met in Durham, New Hamp-
shire, last June completely escaped
the newspapers and was but family
reflected in the pages of the re-
igious and news weeklieS. For
tunately it was deeply felt by large
proportion of the people present.
Men and women who differed
deeply on a matter of conscience
were able to understand, appreciate
and honor one another! Tolerance
is too cold word to describe the
attitude which prevailed. Perhaps
the nearest that language can come
to describing spiritual experience
is to say that fellowship was heart
lily maintained in the face of a deep
divergence of viewpoint.
The question at issue had to do
with the attitude of Christians to-
wards war. Fortunately there was
complete unanimity as to the ulti-
mate goals to be sought and the spirit
in which they should be achieved.
There was also agreement that all
had shared in the sin which has
brought the world to its present state.
The divergence was on the relation
of the Christian conscience to the
immediate facts of war; A Boston
paper, hearing of the discussion, ran
the headline congregational Council
Rent by Dissension." From the news
paper point of view this looked like
valid deduction, but it was entirely
wide of the truth. One group was
not trying to override the other.
Both were seeking for a basis of
understanding and agreement. Prob
ably nobody was converted outright
from one viewpoint to the other
but in the course of the discussion
both attitudes were mellowed and
modified. Through it all the spirit
of goodwill prevailed. Far more sig
nifcant than the divided vote was
the atmosphere in which the poll
was taken.
Here is spiritual achievement
which may be freighted with deep
significance for the future. There
is nothing which men more need
to learn, both as individuals and
as groups, than to both appreciate
and seek to understand those with
whom they differ. Once it is
achieved, this is happy experience
Exploring the other fellows ideas is
far more exhilarating than trying to
convert him to our way of thinking.
1t is also contagious attitude. When
we truly seek to understand others
We awaken in them a desire to un-
derstand us.
The attitude which the Durham
Council exemplified is the ultimate
answer to the problems of church
union and world peace.
Effective church union can only
come through mutual appreciation.
It should never be matter of sur
rendering this or that but rather of
supplementing our religious exper-
fence with that of men who are diff
ferent from ourselves. The General
Council took this attitude for granted.
It voted that official negotiations be
entered into with the Evangelical and
Reformed Churches more as a mat
ter of course than as any great effort
towards church union. We have got
ten past arguing about such matters
In this spirit alone can a divided
Professionalism be brought together.
The same principle applies tc
world peace To live and let live
is not enough. Prejudice, even g
detached sort of tolerance, must give
way to mutual appreciation. Obvi-
ously this path is long and difficult
At Durham our churches demon.
strated the attitude of mind which
alone can build a warless world
The objection might be made tina
this was a very small experiment
conducted under exceedingly favor.
able conditions. Yes, but it demon
strated a spiritual truth. The May
flower was a very small ship, bu
multitudinous are the vessels which
have followed where it has led. GU
churches are pointing the way to
wards peace. That is probably OIL
greatest service to the present day