Editorial February 22, 1919 Issue

The Missionary Spirit and Politics

William P. McKenzie

The life of the apostle Paul gives as good an example of the operation of the missionary spirit as we can have. He himself speaks of his experiences "in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." Why did he endure all these things? It was because of the burning fire of love in his heart and the necessity that was laid upon him to tell people about Christianity and teach them the joy of becoming obedient to Christ Jesus. His life was spent in the endeavor to do good and to establish righteousness by making Christ known. In our day missionary work depends upon the coordinated effort of Christian people, whose agents and messengers are endeavoring to carry what is good news to the very ends of the earth. Missionary schools and colleges in backward lands carry forward choice scholars into contact and affiliation with the advancing sense of Christian civilization. These educated thinkers in turn make statesmen, advisers, teachers, preachers of righteousness in their own lands, sowing again the seed ripened from the kindness of those in the far land who thought of them lovingly.

It is a surly question after all that was put by Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" If brotherly love means anything, it is interested in the protection, the welfare, the happiness of the brother. Mrs. Eddy has put this thought of good will into universal terms when she says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 518), "The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good."

In a parade which took place in an American city,—a parade of women in all the societies they had formed for useful work and service during the war,—there were uniforms of khaki and olive drab and white and navy blue, all trim and orderly. Then in the distance, without band music or singing, came what seemed to be a dark cloud. Coming nearer it was seen to be those to whom the suffering Armenians were kindred. They were associated in work for their relatives out there, but all, women and children alike, were clad in crêpe. Their land, a Christian land, had been desolated, their people massacred, to make way for the heartless Gentiles. Let us understand what it is that causes such evils to exist in the world. Mrs. Eddy describes the evil spirit exactly in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 122): "The murder of the just Nazarite was incited by the same spirit that in our time massacres our missionaries, butchers the helpless Armenians, slaughters innocents. Evil was, and is, the illusion of breaking the First Commandment, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me:' it is either idolizing somethingand somebody, or hating them: it is the spirit of idolatry, envy, jealousy, covetousness, superstition, lust, hypocrisy, witchcraft."

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