Article January 1, 1916 Issue

From Our Exchanges

with contributions from James I. Vance

[The Christian Register]

The larger vision of religious kinship sees the man on the other side of the fence, and sees him whole, not as a sectarian, a bigot, or a heretic, but as the human brother we all talk so much about, but toward whose sentiments and opinions we practise so little real charity. Think as he may on certain abstruse and difficult subjects, his theology occupies only one corner of his mind, while his needs, limitations, temptations, weaknesses, are much like our own. It is his geniality and fellow-feeling that we need, as he may need ours could we find some common ground of meeting where distrust dies out.

Though in different camps, we acknowledge the same master, owe allegiance and loyalty to the same captain. In his name we should unite and express our spiritual kinship. The best in us is friendly and human, kindly and charitable, loving and merciful,—apart from outworn creeds. But we do not let these qualities have way with us as we ought. We all long to be quickened, strengthened, and refreshed, for at times we all feel the same dead, inert insensibility to spiritual things. Perhaps there is some one just around the corner who could bless and help us were we to seek him out. We dwell on the supreme duty of service and devotion to our helpless fellow creatures, but all our activity and bustle will not satisfy the craving for soul refreshing that would come with the acknowledgment of a larger religious kinship coming from those who ought not to be separated from us in the wide vision of fellowship and sympathy.

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