OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER
In an article, "Is Civil Defense the Church's Concern?" Ed Mack Miller, writing in the November issue of Information (The Catholic Church in American Life), gives a forthright challenge to the members of the Catholic Church to accept the responsibility for community concern. In this article he pays tribute to the splendid work being done by Seventh-day Adventists. The whole article is good, and while paying respect to what officials in the Catholic Church are doing, he says:
"The time has come for all of our parish societies to begin to consider Civil Defense as an important project.
"Many of these societies are badly in need of new life and new interests. Many others are dying on their feet for the want of a downright worthy project. In every parish we have zealous men and women who have lost interest in parish societies because at their meetings they feel that they are not doing anything or getting anywhere. The time has come to begin to talk and think hard about Civil Defense, go into the question of survival techniques and, beyond that, to work in coordinated teams stockpiling defense supplies and building blood banks.
"Rest assured that there will be no difficulty in getting expert help who would gladly cooperate with any parish director in enlisting aid and support in any CD program.
"We can take a lead from the Seventh-day Adventists. Working closely with federal CD administrators and the Red Cross Feather agencies, they have set up one of the best national church disaster-relief programs to date. They have trained over 20,000 members in first aid; over 1,000 are qualified instructors. The only religious sect that the Red Cross has approved to conduct its own first-aid training, Adventist churches have stockpiled emergency food, clothing and first-aid supplies, joined heartily in local CD activities, and have conducted various experiments in survival techniques.
"Administrator Peterson commended them for 'maintaining disaster-relief centers, preparing home-disaster kits and encouraging members to donate blood.' Many Adventist churches and institutions have tied in first aid and casualty care with local welfare programs. Thus emergency needs can be filled in one place.
"In the U.S., however, Adventists' hospitals are relatively few compared with our Catholic hospitals. Preparedness of our hospitals unquestionably could be a major factor in survival."
It is interesting to see how the activities of Adventists are being observed. We are happy to have our friends recognize our efforts to serve the community. In many places we are being thrust into the public eye. May the Lord help us to walk worthy of the honor and always to be humble enough to serve any and all. Our standing in the judgment will be measured not by our profession but our deeds to those we least thought we were serving. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
R. A. A.
THE WARNING THAT WINS
Does your warning win? Following an evangelistic campaign the evangelist was asked about the results. "I warned three thousand souls," was the proud reply. Sensing that further interrogation could result in embarrassment, the speaker was kind enough not to ask any further questions.
Jonah was probably content to warn, but he did more—his warning won a city! His dismay at having succeeded in bringing a nation to its knees defies analysis in the light of modern thought. He surely holds the record for a successful six-weeks' campaign!
To produce God-fearing, church-supporting Christians is the object of all our ministry. We are called to a higher purpose than merely thundering the judgments of Jehovah. We, of all people, should be messengers of His grace.
The messenger of the Lord has urged that we should be Christendom's foremost heralds of Christ and His atonement:
"Of all professing Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world. . . . The great center of attraction, Christ Jesus, must not be left out."—Gospel Workers, p. 156. [See also twenty-six additional Spirit of prophecy statements on this point on pages 40 and 41 of last month's MINISTRY.]
It is by the goodness of God, the revelation of His loving-kindness and tender pity, that men are led to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Then with all that Jonah preached about judgment there must also have been an appeal. Over and over again in John Wesley's Journal we read such expressions as, "Tonight I offered Christ to the people." Paul says, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." He does not say terrorize them, but persuade them. The sermon that depicts God's justice and reveals His love is the warning that wins.
E. E. C.