King's Business - 1920-10

920

THE K I N G ' S BUS I NE S S nor the men in the .boats made any move to help him,,except the two lads. A man was saved. A lesson of great import was given. Fifty men and women, undisturbed “ onlookers,” while a mari was drowning! Two fishing boats with men in them intent on getting something out of the lake, indifferent to the cry of a drowning man. One man forsaking his post and taking up an unassigned duty“ because he had a compassionate heart. If any man could have been excused, it would have been the traffic officer. We suppose that the picnickers passed a set of resolutions congratulating the officer, gave him a bouquet of flowers, treated the youngsters to a plate of ice cream and went on their way rejoicing. Is the incident suggestive? Is there a picture before your eyes ? Is the lake like the sea—a type of the restless world? Are th'e onlookers, like so many of the professing church, picnicking'on the shores of eternity having à good time, engaged in social service with committees on music, dancing, lectures, entertainments? So occupied with the turning of church wheels that- they have no time to listen to the cry, the sob and the moan of the dying sinners all around them? ■Here and there one man or woman interested in the souls of the lost, going to the rescue; seeking to save. There are bouquets and resolutions for those who have hearts of sympathy for the unsaved and seek to rescue them ; but the onlookers, the picnickers, are so glad that they do not have to take any risk of soiling their religious clothes or of contam­ inating themselves with the acquaintance of these poor sinners. The picture of the onlookers is a real one ;- but, alas, the picture of the drowning man is sq inadequate. Not one but.a thousand voices can be heard, if you but listen—yes, ten thousand; yes, hundreds of thousands of voices are calling out,- fighting thè losing fight with the billows. They are going down! down! every day! Some live next door to you. Some are touching elbows with you. Some go to your church hungry-hearted. No one speaks to them. No one answers the cry of their soul. Do you know of any onlook­ ers? Reader of this story, are you one? Have you heard*mny cry? Are you about your Master’s business? Have you heard His voice: “ Foilow me and you shall catch men” ? God pity the church; so many—only onlookers! -God pity the lost! So many supposed to belong to the life saving station— yet only onlookers ! —T. C. H. P lea se Don’t Do it A New York telegraph dispatch brings us sad news! It says that the leaders of the “ World-into-the-Church Movement” are proposing a reorgan­ ization on a new basis. Don’t do it, brethren. Somehow, we have lost confidence in your organizing ability. Some of you have been in the business for a long time. We remember with pity the Laymen’s Missionary Movement, and the Men and Religion Movgment, and now this last move­ ment was a little worse than the others. Why not cease from your labors and take a rest and give the dear church an opportunity to get down to its real business. We have had the wonderful survey; now let us survey the wondrous cross. We have had enough social service to last for a while; give us an opportunity to do some soul saving. We have had about all the

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