April 1930
186
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
C. ,MÇi(«.biUU.
The Christ of Truth
' B y H arold F . G raham Student President of the University Bible Clubs, University of California at Los Angeles
From the time when the last sail vanished over the horizon, eighteeen years passed without a bit of news in Europe concerning the famous crusade of youth. Griev ing parents gave them up for lost. Then one day an old man came back with the story. And what a story it was! On the third day out, two of the ships were lost, with all on board, in a storm. But no sooner had the skies cleared than strange sails appeared. Bearing down on the five remaining craft, they grappled, and dark-skinned Saracens swarmed over the sides. The Marseilles sailors made no resistance, and the pirates quickly made prisoners of the youth-crusaders. Then the awful truth came out. The merchants who offered the ships were dealers in
“Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that 1 should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of thé truth heareth my voice ."—John 18:37. pSgpg^HE year 1212 was a strange one in Europe. It Tpg"'’ was one of the most peculiar times in the whole world story of youth. France saw the begin- nings of this remarkable movement, but it soon ygÜr . spread all over the continent. A wonder boy in TAU France by the name of Stephen was the leader. He claimed that God had appeared to him in dreams and visions and had called him to raise an army of youth
slaves. T h e y deliberately sold those cargoes of picked Christian youth into a fate worse than death, slavery to the hated Sara cens. Not one ever escaped. The very best of Europe’s youth was basely betrayed and given over to complete destruction. A merican Y outh F aces A C risis Seven centuries have slipped away since then. But in a very real sense, nearly every feature of that awful tragedy is being reenacted today. M a r c h i n g through our much-boasted world of enlightenment and knowledge, are the h o s t s of enthusiastic youth. For some of us it is true that visions and dreams have stirred our hearts. For others these visions have already crum bled into dust. Illusions of child hood are in ashes about us. Be wildered, we face an unyielding sea. No miracle is forthcoming.
which would march unarmed, ex cept for the power of Christ, to the Holy Land, there to redeem the tomb of the Saviour from the hated Saracens. “God is tired of the failures of the sword in the hands of men,” cried Stephen. “It is the hour of innocence and youth!” Soon boy-preachers had carried the tidings to every part of Europe. Everywhere the movement spread like wildfire. Thousands of young men and boys flocked to the standards. Stephen began to prophesy marvelous things. They would march to the coast at Marseilles, where the sea would divide be fore them. Then they would march on dry land to Palestine, where the Pagans would fall down, converted in an instant. Together they would then wor ship at the sacred tomb. The great Child Crusade was on its way. Some thirty to forty thousand young men and boys
The writer of this article is identified with the University Bible Clubs, which were inaugurated two years ago on the campus o f the University of California at Los Angeles. It is an evangelical, Bible-cen tered, student effort. An executive secre tary is employed, who conducts Bible classes for both men and women students and is constantly engaged in personal in terviews, meeting the many and varied student problems with the truth from the Word of God. A prominent feature of the Bible clubs’ program is a monthly meeting, when a special invitation is ex tended to the entire student body and fac ulty of the university. Some o f the best Bible teachers in America have been heard in these meetings. Remarkable in terest has been manifested, among this cosmopolitan body of students, in the true Gospel o f Jesus Christ. Many are hungry for the truth; very few have shown a hostile attitude. The. leaders covet the prayerful cooperation of all Christian people.
The heavens above us are brass! Waves of dread and doubt roll on and dash on the shore. I f youth is as important to the future destiny of the world as they say we are, then the future world faces its crisis today. American youth, and that means future America, faces two alternatives. One is chaos; the other is Christ! Thousands of the finest young people in the world are even now slaves to doubt and skepticism and atheism. Respect for law is gone, the sense of right and wrong is gone, and the consciousness of a living God is gone! The cause? We have been denied the truth, as it is found in Jesus Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wis dom and knowledge. And you who have denied us this truth are betrayers of your trust, selling the finest of America’s young manhood and young womanhood into a life worse than slavery. The hideous skepticism that stalks about under the mask of scholarship, is robbing us of all respect for authority and hope for humanity. Truth is the magic touchstone of all right living, and it is the only foundation for true faith. God will not
were in the march. Wildest joy greeted them on every hand. As the procession went along with colors flying, bugles blowing, drums beating, men uncovered their heads in reverence. Women dashed out into the streets and covered the faces of the young crusaders with kisses. What pathos was in it all ! Time and again they struggled to the top of a hill, and seeing the towers of a city in the distance, knelt in ecstasy in the dust, crying, “Jerusalem! Jerusalem!” But on they marched to the sea of Marseilles. It failed to divide. As they eagerly scanned the waters for their promised miracle, the great breakers rolled and foamed on the shore. They turned on Stephen. His life was in danger. Then, in this crisis, help came. Two merchants came forward with the offer of ships to take them to the Holy Land. Instantly the fervor revived. Here was their miracle, only in a different form. Cheering and shouting, as many as could get into the seven ships which were offered, crowded in, and they sailed away.
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