October, 1934
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
360
to say I am frightened at what will hap pen.’ “Stanley Baldwin in the Times (July 17, 1931 ) frankly confesses: ‘What is it that underlies everything in Europe today? It is the element of fear—fear of what may happen.’”— S elected . II. W ar S ince 1918 All the experiments in peace of the post war years have, then, failed. And in every case the explanation is the same. They have failed because they were based upon the assumption that what existed was peace and that the task was to preserve it. But, actually, peace did not exist. The nations which had confronted each other during the long years of the great conflict still re mained in presence. There were changes in the firing-lines. The Anglo-Saxons had gone home. New combatants had arrived and old had been removed as casualties, but the battle continued. And the supreme illusion of the post war world lies precisely in the assumption that armed conflict alone is war. In real ity, war is the pursuit of policy by all pos sible means. In the years after the Paris Settlement, arms were unavailable, but by every other means peoples pursued national policies, and these policies were identical with those which nations had hitherto sup ported by arms. What happened at the close of the World War was at once fantastic, and is now unmistakable. All peoples solemnly, sin cerely, passionately renounced war. Its agonies, miseries, horrors were before all eyes, and every race and people once and for all resolved never to go through it again. But, in reality, what people re nounced was not war. They did not dis card irreconcilable national policies. They did not drop rival racial aspirations. They simply declared that henceforth they would not use arms to establish these purposes. But they were still resolved to employ all other means—and did. They used tariff, finance, trade, commerce, even the experi ments in peace, to ijiake war.—From Can Europe Keep the Peace? by Frank H. Simonds, Harper & Brothers, New York. NOVEMBER 18, 1934 Why Should Young People Abstain From Alcohol? 1 C orinthians 6:19, 20 Suggestions for th e M eeting Hymn—“Jesus Shall Reign.” Hymn—“More Like the Master.” Prayer. Hymn—“Yield Not to Temptation.” Scripture—1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. Duet—“Open My Eyes, That I May See.” Leader’s Message. Discussion: 1. How does alcohol affect the body (Prov. 23:29-35)? 2. How does alcohol affect the mind? 3. What does the Bible say about self- control (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 5:22, 23, R.V.; 2 Pet. 1:4, 6)? Hymn—“Something for Thee.” Benediction—Jude 24, 25. Meditation on th e L esson Paul has been reasoning with the Corin thian Christians about the sanctity of the body, and now he throws all his energy into the task of emphasizing two great truths : First, that we are bought with a price ; and second, that our bodies are the temple of thé Holy Spirit. The truth and the implication of these words are gladly acknowledged by every
hunger and thirst after righteousness,” to “the pure in heart,” and to others. But the Old Testament background for the subject of peacemakers is not promi nent; for peace, that glorious aspect of the character of God—without the impar- tation of which there can be no true peace makers—required the coming of Christ for its complete revelation. While it is true that throughout His dealings with men, God was revealed as “the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, . . . forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,” it was not until Christ “made peace through the blood of his cross” that God could manifest Himself as “the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20), and could reveal Himself “in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” When we are reconciled, we have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Possessing divine peace, we should be come “peacemakers” or “peace diffusers” and thus “be called the children of God.” It is our duty and our privilege to experi ence the “peace . . . which passeth all un derstanding” and to endeavor to show to others how to find this rest of heart in
Christ Jesus, the Redeemer. While it is impossible, according to God’s Word, to expect universal peace in this world until the Prince of Peace comes, yet it is pos sible for every Christian to be a peace maker—first, as he seeks by his own con duct to “live peaceably with all men” ; then as he brings men to be reconciled to God, thus securing eternal peace for them; and in addition, as he acts as arbiter between Christians who may be estranged, restoring peace to them. “Blessed are the peace makers.” How can there be true peace while fear— well-grounded fear—is in the hearts of citizens and leaders of nations? In the Dawn, an English publication, Dr. Wilbur M. Smith calls attention to the uncertainty which prominent statesmen express. “Lord Robert Cecil recently said: ‘I read the papers with increasing uneasi ness. I believe we are heading straight for one of the greatest disasters that has ever come upon mankind.’ “Lloyd George expresses his fear for the future in even stronger terms: ‘I can not say what is going to happen to the world. I am alarmed. I will go so far as Leader’s Helps I. F ear
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