Article December 19, 1908 Issue

TAKING SIDES

PROF. JOEL RUFUS MOSLEY.

Christ, Truth, is forever being manifested to destroy the works and to rescue the captives of the evil one. Indeed, the right and only satisfactory punishment of evil is its destruction and the liberation of its unfortunate victims. Love for the captive, love for the sinned against, and love for society as a whole, require this negation of sin and this liberation from evil. The only attitude which we can legitimately develop against an "enemy" is the desire to see and help him become what he was meant to be and is capable of becoming. All the "punishment" which the bad man needs is the discipline which helps him to become good. In like manner, the "punishment" that the selfish need is to become unselfish; the unjust, just; the false, true; the hating, loving, and the fearing, fearless. The meeting of all evil with good and all good with good, all injustice with justice and all justice with justice, all falsehood with truth and all truth with truth, and all hate with love and all love with love, is the best and only way to make it easier for all to become better.

To take the side of the better as against the worse in each party to any misunderstanding or controversy, tends to bless all. To take the side of one individual as against another makes it more difficult for both to do right and tends to make the one who does it a party to the controversy instead of a peacemaker. The one who does this assumes the position of a judge, when his highest privilege and duty is to be a peacemaker; a friend to all and a helper to all. We can be friends of all and helpers of all before we know enough to enable us to locate all the good and uncover all the wrong involved in any controversy; and until we can do this, it is best for us to do that which we can do best, and to leave to God that which He and He only can do.

Moreover, in every difference among individuals, the one who is highest is always readiest to go higher. In so far as he has thought, said, and done things that should not have been thought, said, or done, and left unsaid and undone things that should have been said and done, he can always be counted upon as the soonest to see his errors of omission as well as commission, and to take the steps which will be best for others as well as best for himself. As this is done, it is much easier for those who are lower to go higher. It is glorious to see how quickly the comparatively guilty repent and confess, and strive to correct their misdeeds, when they see those who are comparatively innocent confessing and correcting their mistakes and showing forgiveness and love toward these, the guiltier, Every time we see the comparatively good making it easier for the comparatively bad to be better, we see something of the eternal wonder and glory of the atonement idea.

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