Oneness!—This old world is a vast tinderbox in the midst of which we must live and move and carry on our divine commission. Swirling eddies of propaganda, prejudice, nationalism, and racialism surround us and beat against us. We as workers, and as a people, must beware lest we be drawn into the worldly vortex, and national prejudices, favoritisms, or animosities find lodgment in our hearts, defeating the imperative unity and blighting the spiritual oneness and coordination of this movement. In the midst of this bewilderingly complex situation, God is calling out one people with one supreme purpose and objective. Soon we will be hated, shunned, ostracized, and persecuted, as has been clearly foretold in Holy Writ. We must solidly stand together in heart sympathy, understanding, and cooperative support. Let this principle and concept be ever before us as workers; let it permeate our counsels to others. We must press together as never before.
Confidence!—Perhaps the greatest single human asset a leader in this cause can have is the confidence of fiis associates and his constituency of workers—confidence in his fundamental Christianity, in his basic loyalty to this message, in the soundness of his eminent fairness in all dealings and in his scrupulous honesty in handling facts, figures, funds, situations, and men. The loss of such confidence constitutes the greatest blow a leader can receive, for success is impossible without it. The leader who is wise will never forfeit that confidence. Such confidence comes not through words and assertions, but through the acts and the attitudes of life.
Strained!—He is not a true interpreter of prophecy who bends or twists history to make it arbitrarily fit his concepts of the prophetic requirements. With true and sound interpretation, the historical counterpart is obvious and inconcealable. It is not only easy to find, but it cannot be gainsaid because it is known and discernible to all masters of history. It is humiliating, therefore, ever to have a critical historian say concerning some exposition, "That is Adventist history for you —partly true and partly fabrication !" Expositors are indeed hard put to prove a point when they have to fabricate, distort, overemphasize, or suppress evidence. Such are doing this cause a grave injustice and a distinct disservice. The sovereignty of truth is supreme, and its mandates cannot be gainsaid.
Christianity!—Christianity is always kind and considerate—otherwise it is not Christianity. This we are never to forget in dealing with souls. It matters not whether they be lay church members or fellow workers, they are to be dealt with as Christ would deal with them. We stand in His stead, and He was always kind, gentle, considerate, compassionate. He never treated souls with harshness, but wept over the erring. There were tears in His voice as He corrected the wayward, or called men back to the path of right. He never needlessly caused pain to a humble heart. He was patient, and never precipitate. Never are we to lord it over God's heritage, or show our brief authority with righteous austerity. We are tenderly to shepherd the sheep. We are to be considerate of men's feelings. We are to follow the golden rule. But this is a divine principle with which some seem strangely unfamiliar—at least, in practice. Some are rough and resolute, gruff and grandiose, in matters of discipline or administration. But that spirit comes not from Christ, nor is it owned by Him. Our pious professions and our arduous activities are largely a mockery if they are not surcharged with Christ's spirit of Christian kindness.
Rescue!—In these hours of torture for Europe and of deep concern for the rest of the world, when humanity's hopes of peace and fears of war swing back and forth like the pendulum of a clock, when nerves are often at snapping point and passion and prejudice at fever pitch, we must press upon the heart of mankind God's message of the only abiding peace possible for this distraught world through the coming kingdom of peace at the second coming of the Prince of Peace. Lulls there may be in the storm, but it will soon break with relentless fury upon a fear-stricken populace. This world has no security to offer. Affairs will wax worse and worse. Wrong and oppression will increase, for the world has turned away from God, and iniquity is on the ascendant. Our task is to rescue individuals from the coming crash. We must work under emergency conditions, and at emergency speed. Let us banish the trivial and nonessential things from our ministry. We have time and energy for fundamentals only. Every man to his task with renewed energy and consecration ! Tell forth the meaning of the times, and urge upon the world men's only hope.
L. E. F.