The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-09-16

"Stick to the Gospel and leave
politics alone" is advice often
given to preachers. Whether it's
good advice depends on what is
meant by it. If Leave politics
alone" means that a church
should not become a political
party, then it is good advice. But
if it means that the preacher
must never mention anything so
worldly and controversial as
housing for the poor, wage levels,
dirty politics, dishonest police, in
competent judges, or bad leader
ship in high places, then "Stick
to the Gospel" is bad advice.
Upside Down Morals
Not only that, but a preacher
Shamed or scared into silence
about the live issues Of his time
and community is false to his
Bible. The prophets of old were
bold preachers. They pointed
their fingers at sin wherever
they saw it. And when they saw
the supposed leaders Of their
country setting bad examples,
when they saw bad foreign poll
cy. when they saw the weak OPP
pressed and the shady characters
given the medals, the prophets
did not pull their punches or
preach soothing sermons about
heaven. They preached some Of
their most powerful sermons
straight to the top-flight citizens
of their time.
One of the great evils that Mi
cab (for instance) nailed down,
was what we call upside-down
morals, preached and practiced
by influential people. 1t is much
worse when such people get
twisted-up about right and wrong,
than when obscure people do. A
bum in a slum can try to tell
you that wrong is right and you
pay him no attention. But when
rich or famous or powerful peO-
pie take a wrong slant. you get
mixed up. You think, well,
surely a man as smart or rich,
or educated, or successfully as he
is, can't be Wrong'
Robbing the People
Another evil Micah sopke of
sharply and plainly can be called
in plain language robbing the
people. Unfortunately this can be
done sometimes quite legally.
This means that a wealthy cor
poration can get weather. simply
by overcharging the consumer
and overcharge is a polite word
for stealing. There is a large
area in our southern mountains
which for years was bare as the
Sahara desert, a desolate des-
perate sight in the midst of green
hills and mountains on all sides.
A great corporation was letting
copper fumes go out from its
chimneys unhindered. killing all
green things for miles around. It
took a long time before the gov
eminent stopped that. Another
mill, manufacturing asbestos. ex-
posed its employees to ashes
tosis. an incurable disease Of the
lungs caused by asbestos lint in
the air. MANY workers died, but
+ was all perfectly legal
till finally the state stepped in
and required safety devices that
stopped the legal killings. But
where was the church? Not a
voice was raised, SO far as this
writer ever heard. against killing
either the green countryside or
human beings. There were no
prophetic preachers, no prophetic
churches, to call a spade a spade.
Preaching for Money
The prophet Micah calls out
for judgment another kind Of
leader who only leads on to
ruin. T h a is the kind of
projhet (meaning preacher) who
breaches to please those who pay
him best. This is the worst kind
of bad leadership. For the minis
ter of the Gospel is supposed to
be a man of God. but when he
breaches only what his weather.
contributors will approve, then
he ceases to be Gods spokesman
and wears some mans collar. In
the very early days of Christi
anity, just after the New Tesla
merit was finished, there was a
book which gave regulations and
advice for church officers. 1t
seems there were many travel
ing evangelists and missionaries,
then as now, asking for money.
This little book gave a rule which
was very useful: If the visitor
begs for others, he may be genu-
inc; if he begs for himself, throw
him out. The preacher out for
himself first of all sets and ex-
ample that pushes his people
farther on the road to ruin.
Based on outlines copyrighted
by the Division Of Christian Edu-
cation, National Council Of the
Churches of Christ in the U. S. A.
Released by Community Press
Service.)
YOU CAN'T WIN