Evening star., 1944-04-19
Text of Conservation Sermon
Bishop Sheriff. Sees Church Leadership
VituIly Needed to Heal Ills of Torn World

the times, or is the church the body
Of Christ who gave His life? May
it not be true that we are living in
a period when the fullness of time
has come again? -
= Certainly we are at one in the
conviction that Christ has a mes
sage snd life for our day. Surely
we must proclaim that His gospel
is applicable to our social order.
But it is not enough to preach and
to resolve: it is essential that the
Word become flesh, that there be
"a true body of Christ in an indi-
.Ei6ual and corporate life which will
detefmine the course of history.
Letsus apply this to some of the
pressing questions before us. I i'm
Eagine that most Of us would agree
that the greatest need beyond the
immediate winning of the war is the
establishment of what, to avoid
political terms, we may call world
family of nations. Only on the basis
of such international understanding
and cooperation can world peace
be maintained and more equable
and stable world order be estab-
lished. There can be no debate as
to Christs teaching as to the
brotherhood of man, not as a politi-
cal slogan, but because all men are
the children OF Heavenly Father.
Isolation Is Spiritual Heresy.
From the point of view Of Chris
tianity, isolationism of an individual,
a nation or race Is a spiritual
heresy. God was not isolationist
when He so loved the world. The
church has never been isolationist
in sending out missionaries to the
four corners of the globe I am not
speaking in terms Of any one scheme
OF world organization, but of the
general spiritual objective to which
the church is committed as the
servant of Christ. 1t is to be hoped
that from the fellowship of the
church will come inspired and de-
termined men and women who will
work out and support the definite
means of achieving this objective.
This calls for more than sermons
and resolutions; it demands attri-
butes of mind and of heart. Above
all, there must be a unique quality
of life within the church. The mis-
sionary cause Is not work of super
erogation, not trying to force our
way of life upon some one else. Mis-
sions mean the sharing of the best
we have, the truth of God in
Christ, and then living in fellow
ship with God which transcends all
barriers OF nationality.
We may evolve all kinds of inter-
national machinery which is neces-
sary, but which will be bound to
fail if formed only for reasons Of
fear or of selfish advantage, There
must be the spiritual motive and
life. We may be grateful to God
and to thousands of known and un-
known missionaries that in almost
every land, yes, including Japan,
there are those who count them
selves members of the Christian
Church. There are difficulties and
tensions which will continue. But
here the church can be the body of
the Christ who draws all men to
Himself.
Along the same line, there is the
whole problem of race relationship
a question not peculiar to the Far
East or India, but one which con-
fronts us at home with immediate
and pressing necessity. Again the
gospel note of brotherhood rings
clear and strong. There cannot be
the slightest question as to ChriSt's
way of loving kindness which is
more than justice. To be realistic
it is impossible to ignore the per-
pleXities. the fears and the pre- iu-
diceS which SO often tie our hands
and confuse our heads.
Problems Concern Church
Intimately.
I am not proposing any definite
radical solution. I am saying that
here Is a matter which deeply con-
Germs the Christian Church. which
is intimately connected with the
practice of the religion we profess
Again it is not question of pro-
nouncements and of programs
though they have their place. sc
much as it is matter of life within
the church. Are we in truth a fel-
lowship in which God Is no respec-
ter Of persons? The church 1,