The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-06-29
Text; John l7:l8-23; I COrinth-
ians l:l-3; pal; IL, Is
BY WILLIAM F.. GILROY, DID.

BY WILLIAM f.. GILROY, ID.
1t is a strange and sad thing
that the most terrible Of al.
wars should be in world that
we call "Christendom,' and
that the bitterest strife should
be between nations that have
been nomlnally Christian; but
it is an equally strange, and IN
this case very glad, thing that
during these very war years
more progress has been made in
world Christian consciousness
and toward world Christian un-
lty than ever before in all the
Christian centuries.
| think that this is true.
though | am mindful that my
Roman Catholic friends might
cite that Church's ideal of
world Christianity, unified un-
der one authority, and the mea-
sure Of its attainment, at certain
times when the Church was the
main strength and hope OF in
ternatlonaliSm. But that was at
least before the Western Hemis-
phere had become part Of the
political and religious world
For at least four centuries il
has been plain that the WORLD
cannot be dominated by one re-
ligious authority; and the sig
niflcance of the Protestant
movement for world Christian
unity is that it does not rest on
authority, but on certain com
mon ideas, ideals, and purposes,
held by those who have widely
varying conceptions OF authority
and practise.
Moreover, ii is coincidence
Of this increasing World-con-
sclousneSs and World-u unit y
among Protcstants, that as the
barriers between those Of differ
ept lands and denominations
break down. instead Of intensi-
fled rivalry with the Roman
Catholic Church, which might
have been expected; there are
probably closer relations be-
tween Protestants and Catholics
than ever before.
The fact is that Both Roman
The fact is that both Roman
Catholics and ProteStants are
challenged today by world sit
uation, and the world is saying
in effect, What is your spirit?"
Where do you stand?" Are
you living for yourself, and for
your own power and aggran-
dizement, or is your life and
purpose Christ-like service TO
humanity, through proclaiming
the Gospel and making effective
its redeemlng power
Churches and church people
are being tested as never before.
and no church can claim TO be
alive, unless 1t has a message
and a helping hand for a sorely
stricken humanity. Moreover,
the narrow vision and the mar
row reach arc not enough.
Christianity was instituted as d
world religion, and such it must
be or lose its claim to embody
the spirit of the Christ. His COM
mission was 10 make disciples
of all nations. There are no
boundaries for the Gospel.
Postwar days may see a great
fulflllmcnt of that command in
vast extension of missionary
activity. The missionary, often
sneered at, today stands higher
than ever before. We marvel al
the courage, endurance, and
service in crucial times, of such
supermen, and super-Christians.
and we now see the effect of the
work of the many nameless mis-.
sionaries unknown 10 us until
war in the Pacific brought them
into the headlines. The friendli-
ness of the natives TO our Amer
lean troops has been a great as
set. IL any reader has had boy
out i'm the Pacific islands, he
may well say, Thank God for
the missionaries"
We may well pause 10 consid
er why the natives did not pre-
fer the Japs; and If we are
thoughtful we shall see that VIC
must restore and carry on the
world wide missionary work
that the war has disrupted. and
build as nobly for the future az
the consccrated missionaries oil