The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-06-12

1880 O~A69AAS W No.
We have in the NS "a
Old Testament a
story about two B.
men who were as -
different as two Dr. Foreman
men could be. Just about all that
goes into that phrase, not our
kind of people," could have been
said by either of these men against
the other. It is pretty certain that
the friends Of either man would
not have accepted" the other man
And yet these men found a way
across the border, way that is
always to be found when men look
for it.
Race Barriers
It is not only in America, still
less only in the Deep South" that
differences of race bring up the ex-
preston, Not our kind of people. "
Wherever two races meet and com
pete, there is a race problem. The
ancient Jews knew all about it. OF
course a modern American might
smile at tht difference between
Elisha the Jew and Naaman the
Syrian. They were both orientals,
weren't they? But Elisha's friends,
and Naaman's friends, would not
have smiled about it. Jews felt
pretty grim when they thought of
Syrians, and Syrians felt pretty
contemptous when they thought of
Jews They would not for a minute
have considered themselves Of the
same race. The Syrians at that
time were much the stronger
people. They thought of Isralites
or Hebrews las Jews then were
caned) as q weak, stupid, dirty,
inferior rate. The Hebrews on the
other hand by no means looked up
to Syrians as noble examples and
benefactors. They thought of them
as cruel men, depressing the weak
and living by power, not by justice.
The two races might be related as
enemy and enemy, or as master
and slave; but not as friend and
friend, not as equals. Yet Naaman
and Elisha crossed the border Of
race.
Banisrs Of Position
Another difference between
people which leads to the thought,
mot our kind" is the difference
which is caused by position in 50
ciety, including difference Of occu-
patton. You can take twin babies
and bring them UP in separate
homes, one the home of an litter
ate manual laborer, and the other
the home of a banker or a college
president; one boy will have no edu-
cation and the other q very fine
one; then follow the boys through
life, and by the time they are 80
each one would be saying about
the other IF he didn't know they
were brothers), mot my kind of
people"
Elisha and Naaman were not
only different by race, they were
different by occupation and posi-
ton Elisha was a prophet of God,
his speciality was religion. Naaman
had a kind of religion, very diff
ferent one, but he didn't take even
that very seriously. Elisha was a
poor man, Naaman was wealthy,
and a slave-owner. Elisha's most
spectacular labors had been the
saving of lives (and saving Naa-
mans was right in his ine); Naa-
mans business, as a general. was
killing finciuding killing Israel
ites).
utgA-AnssUde crossing
And yet Elisha and Naaman
crossed the border-line drawn by
the contrast between their social
positions and work in life How did
they do it? They did it the way
modern armies, or peacetime fleets
Of commercial planes, can cross
borders which once upon a time
were formidable and all but inn
possible to cross.
In the same way. the road across
the barriers caused (for example)
by rice Or by position or occupa-
ton or money or education, is sell
dom q road through these borders
1t is above them And the name OF
this high dimension is religion. II
WIS at hast in the bond of COM
mon faith that Elisha and Naaman
met, 'Wo strong men face to face"
tResed = satiines copyrighted BY
IL Divka1aa u Christian Education
| Natkenn1 Csa1e1 q the Churches o.
| ChYist u - u. q. 4. RAlaasad BY
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