The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-08-17
Sunday School
Lesson
Text: Luke 1856; II
ThessalOniahs 3:lO-12
BY VIM. E. GILROY, d. d.

BY VIM. Z. GlLHOT, u. ID.
TIMES and conditions change,
but basic I It's and problems
of human life remain much the
same Slackers and MASTERS, who
refuse to bear their fair share
of the worlds work and respon-
sibility, are as much a problem
and a menace to society as they
were In the days of Paul.
And this Is true in our mod
ern complex society, in spite OF
the fact that in our economic
and industrial order many can
live without working, and in re-
cent years many who have
wished to work have been de-
MED the opportunity. What is
emphasized by these facts Is
that there is something amiss n
society that in some way we
must correct.
In a truly Christian society
every capable person would be
making his contribution to the
common good. II he did not
need to work for his own living
he ought to be engaged in some
sort of work, not necessarily
physical labor, for the welfare
OF others. True democracy de-
mands this, quite as much as
Christian idealism. In an ideal
democracy no one would be ex-
empt from social duties, or be
permitted to live for himself
alone; and this could be effected
in democratic ways, without the
danger of fascism or dictator
ship.
1T Is rather amazing to find
that in the early Christian
communities, where one would
have expected to find the high
est sort of devotion to the com
mon good, there were slackers
so fragrant that Paul had to re-
buke them, and to warn the
church that if these poltroons
would not work neither should
they eat. Only a serious situa-
ton could have called fort
such strong words and such ex-
treme measures.
The principle that Paul lays
down is sound one. even for
modern complex socities. We'll
fare depends upon work, and the
full welfare of society depends
upon the provision Of useful
work for all, and the willingness
Of all to do 1t. And this Is true,
despite the recurrence Of Pc
RODS Of unemployment, and the
failure thus far of every mod
ern nation to find a solution for
the problem of unemployment.
War is obviously no solution,
though it keeps all who want TO
work employed while the war
lasts, or in periods Of warlike
preparation, as in Germany's
supposed solution of the PROB
lem in the years preceding the
war Relief, the dole" system,
as it was called in Britain, and
similar provision in this coun-
try, necessary and humane as
the measures of relief were, is
no solution. In the much-criti-
cized WPA and PWA, millions
Of people who were denied reg
ular jobs were enabled to main
tain their self-respect, and many
Of them gave very valuable
work to the nation for every
dollar they received.
But such relief as an emer-
gency measure Is no real solution
to the problem Of unemploy-
ment, though a great deal that
was done under relief In the
deep depression ought to have
been done in the course OF reg
ular employment.
TWO things, it seems to me, are
needful: we must establish
more useful work for the COM
mon good, so that il labor Is not
absorbed in free enterprise II
can be turned to other socially
organized and socially profitable
enterprise: and free enterprise
must become increasingly domi-
mated by the ideal Of service,
rather than the motive Of per-
sonal gain, with distribution OF
goods for the common welfare
made the goal. Only In that
way can production attain its
highest efficiency.
This seems to me the inev-
liable path toward the Chris
tianization of Industry.