Article May 25, 1929 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from John Bevan, William P. Merrill, Charles Brown

[Rev. John Bevan, M. A., in the Christian World, London, England]

Our only chance of convincing men and women who have no use for religion—especially those of the younger generation—that there is anything in our religion, is to show by our life that it makes us kinder than the nonreligious man; more gentle in spirit, more humble in disposition, more patient when things go wrong, more hopeful in adversity, more courageous in trouble, more indifferent to class distinctions. In short, we have to win on our merits, for sheer goodness of heart and kindness of deed.

It is for us to show that Christ [Jesus'] religion improves the quality and power of goodness. Everybody has goodness—church people have no prerogative of it; the virtues . . . we find . . . everywhere. But it is for us to show that we bring Jesus into it, and that by his spirit, in work, play, sport, friendship, everything, life is raised to its highest power. It is this ingredient, the Jesus spirit, that is the yeast in the lump, the quality that makes goodness religion and keeps religion goodness.

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