"All power is given unto Me . . . Go, ye therefore, and teach all nations . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and, lo, I am with you alway."

      What a soul-inspiring, thrilling and challenging mission! Go, ye,--proclaim the incomparable teachings of the incomparable Christ! Expound, explain, and live the lofty principles of the revelation of God towards man! A challenge to the enthusiastic adventurous strength of mind and body of our best youthful years, the highest thought and steady realism of our maturer years, and the wisdom and guidance from experience of our declining years.

      To us who have voluntarily accepted this commission, and certainly to us who stand in the religious world pleading for the 'restoration of primitive Christianity' comes a responsibility to examine these 'all things' in particular relationship to our own day and generation, so that the 'wayfaring man though a simpleton' will understand, appreciate and accept their pertinence to his own material and spiritual needs.

      So, let us together, in as practical a way as possible, consider the spirit of these 'all things' in relation to some specific modern problems which so sorely need the impact of the best Christian thought and action.

The Christian Basis

      But first, some comments to lay a basis for our thinking. The glory and inspiration of the Christian Message is the central fact of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the Saviour of the World--mankind reconciled to God through Him.

      But, reverently, it is declared that this is not fully relevant to our need unless it is also recognised that there is a life here and now, on earth, to be lived in accordance with the laws of God as revealed by Jesus.

      Acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus in the spiritual sense indisputably implies acknowledgement of His Lordship in all phases of life here, to be lived in accordance with the ethical teaching given by Him. "Not everyone that saith, Lord, Lord, . . . but he that doeth the will of My Father . . . " is an imperative principle to have in mind in our examination of how we are to carry out His Commission.

      We are today oppressed with the propagandist cries of Dictatorships and Ideologies. From the West--Democratic Capitalism, from the East, Communism--but rarely are our hearts and minds challenged with the joyous hopefulness for this life, as well as the life to come, of the sovereignty of Christ, and the programme of practical Christianity implicit in the Commission, the understanding of which is an essential basis for the successful undertaking of the task set us.

      Whereas both the political ideologies, so blatantly propagandised today, offer only a restricted (materialist) philosophy of life, the 'all things whatsoever I commanded you' offer a 'philosophy' embracing the requirements of the 'whole man'--body, mind and spirit--not only his relationship to God, but his right relationship to each other, both essential requirements to the fulfilment of the prayer of Our Lord "Thy Kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven."

Belief and Action

      But, as indicated, it is not sufficient just to 'declare' this belief, the declaration must be supported by action. This necessity could be illustrated from many incidents in history. If Luther had been content with the mere declaration of the necessity for reform of the Church there would have been no separation from the superstition and darkness of Roman Catholicism, but positive action in the courageous defiance of established authority was an essential factor towards development of religious liberty.

      In another sphere, British Trade Unionism, and needed social reforms, stemmed from the activities of a few agricultural workers of the early 19th century impressed with the distressful conditions of their fellows as being inconsistent with the ordinary claims of humanity and the teaching of Jesus; activities, both in word and deed, which led to their imprisonment and deportation.

      So, also, in the transcendent theme of Redemption. This was first a purpose in the mind of God, it was made evident by the word of promise through the ages, but only became real to us, made truly effective, by the advent of Jesus to earth as the Son of Man, with His teaching, example and sacrifice, even unto death.

      It is, therefore, declared, that positive concrete action relevant to the specific task, must support the spoken word.

Human Dignity

      Another important essential in thinking about our task, is to recognise the high dignity of man's personality in the mind of God.

      "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son . . . " What is the 'World' so deeply loved? Lands and seas, mountains and valleys, buildings and bank balances? None of these, of course, but just men and women and children, of all classes and colour. Queens, Statesmen, Business Leaders, the multitude of men and women of the factories, offices and fields, everywhere. Children in luxurious surroundings, and children living in the squalor and degradation of ignorance and poverty. All of equal concern to God, and He yearns mightily that all be reconciled to Him.

      It is again declared, therefore, that people, not possessions, should be the first consideration of Christians in evaluating our task.

And Responsibility

      A still further essential, to have constantly in mind, is man's responsibility, under the Providence of God. We accept God as the Creator and Ruler of the Universe, yet it is important we recognise that man was given "dominion over all created things," to exercise that dominion for good or ill with the God-given reason and free will, attributes that separate us from all other living creatures. This, obviously, implies that whilst God sends the seasons, the sun and the rain, we, and not God, are responsible for the use we make of these natural elements and the inexorable laws of nature set by God.

      It is our duty, therefore, as Christians, to work for the just and loving use of the production and distribution of the multitudinous products of the earth. If this was recognised more realistically, the need for the highest spiritual and ethical approach to the complex social problems of this, and any age, would bring the isolationism, or other-worldly attitude of some Christian thinking, in its right perspective, as being inconsistent with the full task set the Church by Jesus in the Commission.

      So we further declare, that every one of us, must accept responsibility for the anomalies, inconsistencies and cruelties existing in the world; and Christians above all cannot evade this responsibility.

'Whatsoever I Have Commanded'

      Now, what are these teachings we have to proclaim and demonstrate in living?

      "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

      "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness."

      "Blessed are the merciful."

      "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

      "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

      "Love God, and your neighbour as yourself."

      "Look not every man on his own things, but . . . also on the things of others."

      "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, think on these things."

      "Those that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak."

      "Suffer little children to come unto Me."

      "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones."

      "Woe unto ye, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against me, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in . . . for ye devour widows' houses . . . for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith . . ."

      These scriptures are typical of basic New Testament teaching for Christian living, and form some of the 'all things whatsoever I have commanded you,' equally with the glad news of man's redemption by the death and resurrection of Jesus. These teachings, and, of course, the many others which cannot be quoted, were exemplified in perfection by Jesus Himself in His selfless devotion to the Will of His Father, and His service to His fellows in their material needs as well as their spiritual.

      They also dominated the thought and action of the tens of thousands of the early Christians, who, sensing truly the spirit of His teaching, so influenced the whole religious and social systems of their day, that the State recognised the danger to itself, and seduced them to a compromise with His teachings, from which apostasy the Church has still to be rescued.

      In more modern times, such valiant women as Elizabeth Fry and Josephine Butler, likewise exemplified the spirit of His teachings, when they struggled for prison reform in the one case, and for fallen womanhood in the other, in selfless appeal to the conscience of their contemporaries for political action towards the redress of the cruel wrongs being inflicted upon their defenceless fellows.

      Many further instances of this translation of Christ's teaching into action could be given, such as the fighters against Slavery, against employment of women and children in mines and factories under the dreadful conditions of the early industrial era; also the disinterested thousands who through the years struggled so tenaciously for freedom of worship and the widening of education. These are all activities aimed at creating a public conscience towards political action for redress of the evils, and from which we have benefited.

      But no people can live on the past alone, and a similar duty, an inescapable duty, devolves upon every one of us who profess to follow Jesus, to ask ourselves, whether we, likewise, are effectively demonstrating the spirit of His teaching in this our own day and generation, towards a continuing upward standard of life for the peoples of the world?

      Can we truly claim that so-called Christendom, after nearly 2,000 years of Church teaching, is evidencing the spirit of meekness, is hungering and thirsting after righteousness, is merciful? In the face of our ruthless competitive economic system, with two world wars behind us, and the threatenings of an appalling third war ahead, we surely cannot so claim.

Modern Application

      So, remembering our Lord's concern over the full needs of the people of His days on earth, let us look at one or two pressing problems of our own day, in the light of His teachings for practical living.

      Housing. It is readily acknowledged by thinking people of all opinions, that a proper family life is an important factor to achieve a satisfactory individual and community life. Yet, in every country of the world, our own Australia included, many thousands are deprived of reasonable homes. We all know that many are living in hostels instead of houses, that slums exist in most of our cities, towns and country districts, in which no satisfactory family life is possible, but we make no sustained effort to arouse a public conscience to remedy the situation. We rather allow the necessary building materials that would alleviate the situation, to be diverted to build, for example, model townships in what was only recently considered uninhabitable areas of our country, for military purposes, together with lavish establishments for the same purposes in many other areas. Palatial industrial and commercial buildings are erected, but building of houses restricted.

      Education. Development of our complex modern life, particularly the narrowing of the world from independent areas to an interdependent universe, consequent upon the advances in the physical sciences, obviously demands an educational standard of the highest and widest nature. But we allow the great mass of people to finish a formal limited education at 14 or 15 years of age or younger, and, for most of those who continue schooling after this age, to concentrate on technical or professional subjects, mainly for materialistic ends.

      We have allowed--and rightly so in the writer's opinion--the State to take the responsibility of educating the people, but have inadequately attempted to influence a Public demand for a fuller development of the minds of youth towards a higher conception of life.

      We have allowed the vast mass of printed matter, the cinema, wireless and television, all highly important factors in the education of all peoples, to develop along superficial and decidedly harmful lines without adequate and sustained protest, or constructive alternatives.

      We deplore the consequent secular trend of our age, but refrain from relating the full content of the Gospel Message--"the all things whatsoever I have commanded you"--towards a completer education of our generation, to include the Christian precept of the Brotherhood of Man, a precept essential in these days of the interdependence of nations and races.

      Economic System. Here, perhaps, we come to the crux of today's problems, because the whole of life in these days is affected by the factors inherent in our present system.

      The prevalent principle of acquisitiveness, carried to the extreme in individual life by the gambling fever, and collectively by monopoly control of the means of production, the ruthless competition to attain money wealth, with the power over others that this money wealth confers, surely is obviously contrary to the spirit of selfless concern for others basic to the Christian Message, indicated by the few passages quoted above, and emphasised by many others in the New Testament.

      Under this system we see the means of production of God's Providence and man's intelligence and energy, only at work if a monetary profit for the few is attainable. An almost complete disregard, even of the basic needs of man for food and clothing, is the rule rather than the exception. We see these means of production prostituted for destructive purposes rather than for the amelioration of man's needs and his uplift to a full life.

      Under this system we see Hotels, Race Tracks, Theatres, Banks, Commercial Premises, lavishly decorated and equipped, yet, Churches, Schools, and the great majority of homes, very inadequately equipped. Why? Simply because the one section has money, and uses it contrary to the Christian precept, and the other has not.

      We also see vast publicity appealing to the cupidity and greed of people to possess things because money is available for this publicity, whilst the appeal towards the cultural, moral and spiritual necessities of man is extremely inadequately serviced.

      We see usury, once looked at askance, and even condemned, now highly respectable, yet a veritable millstone round the neck of mankind everywhere, because of the fantastic loans, and fantastic amounts of interest payable annually to the relatively few.

      This, system surrounds us with appeals to both the flesh and the spirit for possession of things which can only be procured for money without which it is impossible to live a full and justifiable life in these days.

      Homes, Education are two major illustrations, but boots and clothing for our children, proper facilities for leisure time, all essential for a proper life, can only now be enjoyed by the possession of money. Yet, under this system we have the anachronism that the very people who control these appeals find it necessary to strive after, and procure, incomes of anything from £2,000 to £100,000 per annum for their own personal wants, yet insist that the mass of the people shall live at the level of the basic wage or lower. And then, as it were a climax to the unchristian basis of this system, we see fabulous amounts of money and energy wasted in the shocking and tragic means to destroy whole populations and areas of country by methods diabolically evil, because we consider our 'way of life' is threatened, and because the raw materials in other lands, required for profit making, are coveted. But this supremely important subject demands greater consideration than is available in this pamphlet.

      With these factors before us, can we wonder at the truism of the text that the "Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil?"

      Let it not be thought that the many benefits derived from the development under this economic system of ours are overlooked, but, undoubtedly, we have come to the parting of the ways, and given the brief and entirely inadequate summary above is true, as true it is, we must ask ourselves

Now! Where Are We Going?

      Of course, there is only one direction to choose--the Christ Way. A literal, uncompromising acceptance, and putting into practice, of the precise and authoritative statement of Jesus "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you," together with such precepts as "Love God, and your neighbour as yourself," "Look not every man on his own things, but also on the things of others," "Ye that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak."

      It is undeniable that a faithful, courageous application of such precepts by we Christians in our business, social and political thinking and acting would indeed "turn the world right side up," would indeed bring the cheer and hopefulness to the hearts of men which they so long for. But they have to be applied to the specific problems we are now troubled with, some of which are enumerated above. It must be emphasised that it is not sufficiently effective to save individuals from greed and coveteousness, whilst allowing conditions which so blatantly emphasise this spirit. It is, for example, entirely insufficient to protest against gambling on horses and dogs whilst accepting gambling on the Stock Exchange, or in land and property values. Also, it is not realistic to appeal for a return to the 'simple life.' Many of the things now produced and offered to man are justifiable, but they must be offered as from God for the welfare of all and not to the mere Possessors of money.

      It is not entering politics to emphasise these matters, but is a simple exposition of the wondrous ethical content of the Gospel.

One Last Thought,

      of great significance to the writer, requiring our prayerful and rational soul-searching.

      When John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to ask "Art thou He who is to come," what was Jesus' reply? Not tell John we are erecting fine buildings, we are thought well of in the district, we are invited to civic receptions, not even, souls are being saved, but, "Go and shew John again these things which ye hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed . . . and the poor have the Gospel preached unto them."

      Let us also remember that whilst Jesus loved individuals, yet "He looked upon the multitude and had compassion upon them" that He wept over Jerusalem (the crowded population) crying "How oft . . . but ye would not."

      Methinks He, with equal compassion and longing, now looks upon the multitude, hungry, exploited, dispersed, fearful in many areas of the world; upon London, New York, Berlin, Moscow, Tokyo, Peking, Melbourne, Sydney, crying "How oft would I have gathered ye . . . but ye would not." The imperative challenge comes to the Church today, to acquaint people with the fulness of the Gospel which only can meet all our needs.

      "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me."

      "And the common people heard Him gladly."

Dedication

      "Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt Thou lay down thy life for My sake? . . . "

      MR. COLLYER has been in our Movement for more than 45 years; coming from an old and honoured family in our British churches. He has been a very faithful and effective member of our churches in Victoria and South Australia. He is a keen student of social and international affairs, and has made a great contribution to our Brotherhood life with his healthy emphasis on the practical application of Christianity to the whole of life. To those who know him, he speaks on this matter, not only in word, but through a life of courageous decision on what he earnestly believes.