April, 1941
T H E K I N O ’ S B U S I N E S S
124
Significance of the News By DAN GILBERT Washington, D. C., and San Diego, California
going into battle. Thus the scattering of Chinese disciples has carried the Word to “China’s back door” more quickly and effectively than mission aries could have done for a long time. God is working toward the fulfillment of His own gloVious purpose, and “He . . . will perform it.” In every age, the scattering of the disciples at the command of the Lord has had as one result the wider dis semination of the Word of God. The phenomenal sale of the Scriptures in the last year is like a bright shaft of light, this Easter season, in the midst of the prevailing darkness. Bombs have not stopped the printing of the Bible in England. It has become the Book of the day in Norway, where manf who had evinced no interest in the Bible before suddenly have discovered that it contains what they need. From Bel gium and France come reports of the overwhelming demand for the Scrip tures. In Shanghai where, it is said, more Bibles are printed than in any other city in the world, the presses are working to capacity. With one copy or portion of the Scriptures coming from the press every two seconds, night and day, after some months there were still unfilled orders for thousands of books! And even in Germany, where the iron fist of the dictator is felt, the sale of the Bible is greater than that of any other book. It is the will of God that the precious Word—written and incarnate—shall be offered to men everywhere, that they might be saved. And the very hardness of these confused times.of ours is bring ing forth an interest in and reception of the gospel that must hearten every believer. What comfort this is! Easter—1941! Shall it find us dis tressed over darkness and trial, or re joicing in the clear shining of the Blessed Hope? Mien o f the Mountains “ Come up to me into the mount” (Ex. 24:12). There is a man who stands forth in the Bible as one of the master spirits of humanity. It is Moses, the man whom God could bid to come up into the heights. with Him where the higher [ Continued on Page 166]
The essential choice is simply this: America can choose the way of in ternationalism or of isolationism. But she must take one or the other. I real ize that, like so many other terms, these words are subject to misuse and abuse. But, nevertheless, our people generally recognize what they stand for. Accord ing to the first course of action, Amer ica would seek to strengthen her own democracy by strengthening democracy around the world. America would take the position that we cannot be safe here in America so long as war-minded dic tators roam over other . parts of the eafth. Under this policy, America would be committed to endeavoring to establish a new vforld order, according to the theory that this would best con tribute to preserving our present Amer ican order. Under the so-called isolationist policy, America would seek to live in indepen dence of the rest of the world, in effect, endeavor to live in her own back yard (with South America, and other nations of the New World). We would build up national defense to protect our privacy from foreign invaders, and would read just our national economy so that for eign trade would not be indispensable to American prosperity. There is, of course, no surety that either plan would work. But in that case, America would be doomed. When a patient is desperately ill, there is never any certainty that a critical operation will be successful. But surgery is un dertaken, in the hope of success. It can freely be admitted that there is no ad vance proof that either plan to safe guard America f will be wholly success ful. But one dr the other must be tried. SMOKE SCREEN: • As we have pointed out, this basic issue lies embedded beneath the heat and' cloud of the present debate in Con gress. The question there now is over a matter of means, not of ends. There is [ Continued on Page 165]
BEHIND THE SENATE DEBATE: g As I write, the Great Debate is still raging in the United S t a t e s Senate. While the outcome of the immediate is sue is generally conceded, there lurks in the background a l a r g e r issue of transcendent importance. Eventually it must be brought to the forefront and dealt with by the American people. The destiny of our nation hangs in the bal ance. This writer has no desire to take sides. His one purpose is to try to present the issue with simplicity and clarity. This issue is America’s future. Our people must make up their minds. The coun try is at the crossroads. There will be no chance for a turning back, once one or the other of the two roads is em barked upon. Yet we cannot stand still. To do so w o u l d be national.suicide. Whichever road is taken, the way ahead is somewhat hidden and dbscured. No one can be certain as to the final out come of either action. It may not be entirely a step in the dark, but it must be a movement in a new and uncharted direction. Yet the choice must be made—and soon. In decision, delay, compromise—these have been the destruction of many of the na tions of Europe. America’s hour of de cision cannot be long postponed. THE'ESSENTIAL CHOICE: • America must decide what role she is to play in world affairs. The na tional foreign policy has been vague, confused,, and somewhat muddled dur ing much of our history. It now seems fairly clear thaj any policy, if carried out concretely and conclusively, might be preferable to one of continued hesi tation and indecision. The price of our very national exist ence must be reckoned in terms of a far-reaching and permanent plan of ac tion. The price will be high in any case. Drastic readjustments in our way of life will also have to be made, and these cannot be paid for in dollars alone.-
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