Creative Christian Living: A Christian Ethic for the College Student [Reprint 2016 ed.] 9781512807400

Citation preview

THE GEORGE DANA BOARDMAN

CREATIVE CHRISTIAN LIVING

LECTURES

1933

THE GEORGE DANA BOARDMAN LECTURESHIP IN CHRISTIAN ETHICS HISTORY THE

AND

TERMS

OF

FOUNDATION

On June 6, l8QQ, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania accepted from the Reverend George Dana Boardman, D.D., LL.D., and his wife a Deed of Gift, providing for a foundation to be known as "The Boardman Lectureship in Christian Ethics," the income of the fund to be expended solely for the purpose of the Trust. Dr. Boardman served the University for twenty-three years as Trustee, for a time as Chaplain, and often as Ethical Lecturer. He died on April 28, IQO3, and his wife, Ella Covell Boardman, on September 12, IQI5. After provision for refunding out of the income of the Foundation any depreciation which may occur in the capital sum, the remainder is to be expended in procuring the delivery, at the University of Pennsylvania, of lectures on Christian Ethics from the standpoint of the life, example, and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the publication thereof. On the following page are listed the Lectures which have been delivered and published under the terms of the Foundation. In June, IQ32, the Reverend Walter Brooke Stabler was appointed Chaplain of the University of Pennsylvania and Boardman Lecturer on Christian Ethics. iii

Lectures THE

GEORGE

LECTURESHIP I. T H E

delivered

under

DANA IN

GOLDEN

BOARDMAN

CHRISTIAN

ETHICS

RULE.

George Dana Boardmati. II. M O D E R N

STUDY

OF

1900

CONSCIENCE.

Oliver Huckel. III. T H E E T H I C A L T E A C H I N G S O F

1906

JESUS.

Lyman Abbott. IV. E T H I C S O F T H E L A R G E R

1909

NEIGHBORHOOD.

Hamilton

Wright

Mabie.

V. W O R L D P E A C E A N D T H E C O L L E G E

MAN.

David Starr Jordan. VI. JESUS O N

LOVE T O GOD.

T O MAN.

1914

JESUS O N

1915 LOVE

James Moffatt.

1922

VII. T H E SOCIAL T E A C H I N G O F JESUS CHRIST. T H E SOCIAL PRINCIPLES OF THE TEACHING OF JESUS. T H E SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE TEACHING OF

JESUS. VIII. T H E

Francis Greenwood Peabody.

FUNDAMENTALS

OF

CHRISTIANITY.

Charles Foster Kent. CHRISTIAN ETHICS.

1924 1925

1927

I X . CHRISTIAN ETHICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

Frederick R. X . ETHICS IN EDUCATION.

Edwin

X I . THE CHRISTIAN HOME.

William

X I I . T H E ORIGINALITY OF CHRISTIAN

C.

P.

Griffin Broome

McNally

ETHICS.

George C. Foley X I I I . THE TWO ROADS.

Boyd

X I V . T HTEH RROE PL Y I G. I O U S Henry M O T IBradford V E IN iv

Edwards

P H I L A N - 1931 Washburn.

CREATIVE C H R I S T I A N LIVING Α

CHRISTIAN

ETHIC

COLLEGE

FOR

THE

STUDENT by

W A L T E R BROOKE STABLER

Chaplain of the University of

Pennsylvania

and Boardman

Lecturer

on Christian

Ethics

PHILADELPHIA U N I V E R S I T Y O F P E N N S Y L V A N I A PRESS London: Humphrey Milford: Oxford University Press 1933

Copyright

1933

U N I V E R S I T Y O F PENNSYLVANIA PRESS London: Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press

vi

To the Memory

of

W. COSBY BELL Leader and

Inspirer

of Creative Christian to a

Living

Generation of

Devoted

Students

vii

CONTENTS PACE

INTRODUCTION

1

I . T H E FOUNDATIONS OF MORALITY

I I . CREATIVE LIVING FOR T H E INDIVIDUAL

I I I . CREATIVE LIVING FOR SOCIETY

I V . L I F E VERSUS EXISTENCE

iz

7

43

83

123

INTRODUCTION "INCOMPARABLY the most imperious challenge which today confronts Christianity is the moral chaos of our generation. W e cannot meet it by the repetition of formulas, however holy and however venerable. I t is true, no doubt, that thousands of men and women are bewildered about the Christian creed and are asking questions which cannot be answered truly by mere citation of authorities. B u t there is another question, far more summary, which the whole world is asking daily, and it is calling aloud for decisive answer. I n its simplest terms the question is, ' W h y shouldn't I ? ' T h e s e arresting words sound the keynote of a most searching and dynamic book—and from personal experience and observation we know that they speak the truth. I n college parlance, they " r i n g the bell." T o come straight to the point, therefore, the first avowed purpose of this book is to seek an answer to this fundamental and persistent query of a confused world, " W h y be moral?" R. Barry, Christianity and the Nrw World, New York, Harper & Brothers, 1931, p. 1.

2

Creative

Christian

Living

Such an answer alone, however, will not suffice to lead us out of our present moral chaos where life for many goes with a limp. T h e " W h y " must be accompanied by the " H o w . " Failure to recognize this partnership is considered by many eminent psychiatrists to be the cardinal reason for the impotency of much of the labor expended in the name of religion. Consequently, if this book is to have life-value, its second avowed purpose must be to consider, both from a personal and from a social angle, the moot-point, " H o w be moral?" These topics are of paramount concern, not only to the specialist and the technician but also, and even more especially, to all who seek for vitality in life, particularly the college youth of America for whom this book is designed. T h a t they may remain vital, I shall endeavor to rule as out of order all palaver and intellectual gymnastics, to eliminate all extraneous considerations of ceremonial and constitutional niceties which are so often engrossing. I shall prescribe no theological capsules to be swallowed uncritically, nor doctrinal patent medicines guaranteed to kill or cure. I shall constantly remind myself that we are not engaged in "dummy" bayonet practice in which our purpose is to bowl over straw men as if they were living issues and to retire from the onslaught

Introduction

3

with a quixotic sense of pride and a satisfied feeling of accomplishment. All such folderol only beclouds the horizon. T o follow any one of these avenues of approach is to offer a stone when asked for bread. Instead, I shall seek to aim at the very heart of these two vital questions in order to effect a kill. T h i s is not to claim that at the end I shall be able to sound off with that mystic and conclusive sign " Q . E . D . " and that we shall all live happily ever after. Such a claim would be mountainous impudence and childish fantasy. I am sure that none of us has yet met the proverbial Pathe man who "sees all and knows all." Indeed, if we were to meet him, we should speedily summon one of the abovementioned psychiatrists to get at the root of his delusion of grandeur. No, all that I can claim for this book is that it may lend some light and prompting to the business of creative Christian living. As I have said, this is practical and worth doing. Our birthright is L I F E ; and, if we have our wits about us, we do not lightly sell it for a mess of pottage. Rather do we cherish and nourish it, realizing that we are on a continuous quest for a Truth that leads into a Way that issues in a Life. I repeat, my fondest hopes will be fulfilled if this

4

Creative

Christian

Living

book makes a bit more vivid the reality of this Truth, the efficacy of this Way, the potency of this Life. I shall be content if it serves to stab us awake, to stimulate our thought, to heighten our aspirations, to broaden our vision, and to spur us on to courageous experimentation in the application of the Christian Fact to our intricate and chaotic twentieth-century day by placing our feet more firmly in the King's highway where eventually we shall meet the King. One more word by way of introduction. For the fact that my entire thesis of morality revolves about the teaching and the personality of Jesus Christ I offer no apologies. W e must apologize for ourselves, yes, but we dare not presume to apologize for him. All too frequently have the advocates of Christianity returned to their corners the brow-beaten losers of the round because they have resorted to defensive tactics. Such tactics are always ineffective and self-defeating. The inherent nature of this Christian enterprise calls not for defense but rendition, not for lawyers but witnesses, not for arguments but affirmations. This is but another way of saying that Christians are on trial rather than Christianity, for if I read the criticism of the times aright, the man of the world condemns and ridicules the Christian, not because he follows

Introduction

5

Christ, but because he fails to follow him far enough. And I am confident that this bone of contention is in most instances accompanied by a wistful wonder, a genuine though oftentimes secret desire on his part to see those who profess Christ really take him seriously that he may thereby find through them the kind of religion without which he simply cannot live. In all humility yet without apology, therefore, let us proceed, inspired by the high hope that from this chaos and from this current criticism may be pressed a new wine which someday may be poured into the Holy Grail.

I THE

FOUNDATIONS

OF

MORALITY

A s we prepare to lay the foundations of a creative morality upon which we shall subsequently erect a temple of faith and moral conduct which will be inhabitable in this twentieth century, we are oppressed with the complexity of such an immense undertaking. I am sure we find ourselves in fullest sympathy with "de L a w d " of The Green Pastures who sighs wearily as he gazes f r o m his office window in heaven down upon the troublous earth and remarks, "Dis mankind am some proposition I" I t is difficult to know where to begin, how to weave our way through the intricate maze of already existent structures of thought and conduct which man has built in recent years and which are open to the public day and night. Of one thing we may rest assured: we shall make no progress whatsoever unless we pause at the outset to survey the ground upon which we are to build, to examine in brief panorama the skyline erected by the master-builder modern man.

8

Creative Christian

Living

SURVEYING T H E GROUND

The Twentieth-Century

Skyline

Certain facts stand out in bold silhouette on this skyline upon which the eye of modern man must gaze. Whether he likes it or no, he finds himself in a maelstrom of ideas and ideals, in a chaos of uncertainties. Never before in his history has he been wrenched by such a multitude of entrants in the tug-of-war for his allegiance and his patronage, each straining at cross-purposes for the possession of his soul. Search as he may, he can find no common attitude towards any of life's fundamental issues. If he can find time to recollect, he may recall a game which amused him as a child called "The Bull in the China Shop"; but now he sees it to have been but a prophecy of his present hectic years. Round and round in a circle he goes, enticed this way, pushed that, until he is completely dizzy and is on the verge of meeting himself coming from where he thought he was going! Walter Lippmann sums it up perfectly: " . . . surveying the flux of events and the giddiness of his own soul, he comes to feel that Aristophanes must have been thinking of him when he declared that 'Whirl is King, having driven out Zeus.' m Preface to Morals, New York, The Macmillan Co., 1929, p. 2.

Foundations

of

Morality

9

Illustrations crowd in upon us. W h e n the modern man looks for moral authority, he is handed a five-star final edition of moral relativity hot off the press, inherently incapable of any basic affirmations which ring with a note of finality. W h e n he inquires about respect for law, be it civil or moral, he learns that it has been dethroned and that license and utilitarian expediency have been placed in its stead. W h e n his eyes come to rest on that which he believes to be worthy and noble, scores of debunkers with muck rakes and batteringrams project themselves across the path of his vision. When he looks for beauty in contemporary art, the curtain is drawn from a picture called "A Woman Sitting," and he cannot make up his mind whether it is the original drawing of the Empire State Building or a pile of cotton bales in a N e w Orleans market. Often when he reads modern literature, he finds no object in life except enjoyment, a pure and unadulterated hedonism which has been dignified by the term "self-expression." On the more personal level, when he sets out booted and spurred to slay the dragon of temptation, he is laughed to scorn by the mocking crowds, and is told not to trouble himself with such picayune and introspective matters, but rather to permit uncritical release to his heretofore pent-up

10

Creative Christian

Living

instincts lest their repression produce serious psychological maladjustments and complexes. When he plans to develop his personality and exercise his creative talents, he comes to realize that he is kicking against the pricks, that he is in deadly rivalry with dehumanized machines and "units of energy" and that the cards are stacked against him. When he enters upon business transactions with his fellows, he finds that for a long time man has been face to face with a dog-eat-dog attitude, with a harsh system based upon the principle of the survival of the fittest, with a supercompetitive world ruled by a degenerate imp who whispers to him to get his pile while he can and as he can, with a society educated to achieve success but not to exercise power, with a civilization which has forgotten how to live and let live in its mad scramble to make a living. Even his popular songs reflect this attitude, sounding as they do a note of weariness and futility and seeming to urge him to have as good a time as he can before he is at last snuffed out like a candle. And finally, when he shuts his eyes to ponder upon his philosophy and his religion, he is rudely awakened by the realization that he can find no unanimity of belief in the multitudinous schools and sects and cults, as a result of which he can believe in nothing. H e

Foundations

of

Morality

11

is forced to the conclusion that there is no purpose or plan in life, nothing save "a w a r r i n g of blind forces pushing like a lot of beasts, and man fighting a lone fight against a vast indifference." These are some of the structures of thought and conduct which appear on the skyline of the life of many a modern man. T h o u g h somewhat extreme and severe in outline, they are not imaginary castles in the air. A n d as the result of this survey thus far, our task looks even more hopeless than it did at first. An Optimistic

Horizon

Surrender to pessimism, however, is by no means necessary. T h e r e are always two sides to every case, and one must not be like the judge who refused to hear both sides of a trial because he became confused. T h i s very skyline, when examined more closely, shapes itself into an optimistic horizon. Despite its apparent poverty, there is a potentially rich side to modern life. M u c h is taking place which gives just cause for hope and encouragement. T h e birth pangs of a new and vital faith by which to live are not to be confused with the gasps and contortions of death. Let us continue our survey.

12

Creative Christian

Living

Though some of these structures of thought and conduct must undoubtedly be razed to the ground before any new building program can be launched, nevertheless the wrecking crews will not find this undertaking as difficult as it would at first appear to be. Some of these deficient structures which have towered so high in modern life have already collapsed. All that remains is to haul away the debris. Many have been condemned as being unsafe for occupancy, and few will dare to venture any more within their walls. Others are resting so insecurely upon their foundations that the slightest tremor will send their crowning keystones catapulting to the dust. Numerous illustrations are again at hand. The behavioristic philosophy has just about shot its bolt, modern man seeing that it leaves him unsatisfied. The mechanistic attitude has come to an impasse, having failed adequately to explain life or to supply the desired tingle and zest to life. The toy balloon filled with the hot air that science refutes religion has been punctured, the world's leading scientists having cooperated in exploding this idea. The breath has gone out of the jazz age and it is undoubtedly being buried with appropriate honors. Certain cynical writers have lost their following and are no longer little tin gods

Foundations

of

Morality

13

before whom youth pays unstinting homage. Wisecrackers are seen to be, not wise, but merely clever. Honest debunkers are rising up to debunk the debunkers. Flagrant materialism, bolstered up by ballyhoo, warped values, and unwarranted inflation, is toppling over our ears, thereby revealing its instability. The mad pursuit of pleasure is coming to be seen for what it is, a drug which produces temporary exhilaration but which brings on slow death when life is made entirely dependent upon it. Corrupt politics and unethical business practices are being exposed, as a result of which many in the future will withhold complacent endorsement and blind patronage. In substance, the promises of liberalism have not been fulfilled. T h e thrill which rebellion in itself brings has, to be sure, released man's tension but it is now leaving him disillusioned with his own rebellion. In reply to this, some chronic pessimists will say that the state of affairs just described is but the temporary reaction to three years of world-wide financial depression. I admit that the depression has been partially responsible. I admit, also, that some will forget about it all too speedily. Nevertheless, I believe that it has taught us some permanent lessons and that w e may assume that many a

14

Creative Christian

Living

modern man, for a multitude of reasons, is now keenly aware of a vacancy in his life. H e appreciates his spiritual bankruptcy and frozen assets. H e has come to himself and finds himself in a tragic state, stranded in a foreign land in which he was never meant to dwell. And where there is a sense of need, all things become possible! T o be sure, there are still some who remain stubbornly indifferent to the trend in the tide, who remain superficially content with life in their present abode. T h e world will always harbor such persons just as it will always be a haven for those whose serenity and satisfaction with life in their ill-equipped and antiquated ancestral home is never disturbed by modern developments. Nevertheless, the majority have tired of the twentiethcentury merry-go-round, Washington and otherwise, and are asking "Where do we go from here?" They are on the point of seeing a vision of what life was meant to be, and with a vision they will no longer perish. They are wistful, receptive, eager for this new temple of faith and conduct to be erected. Therefore, though this project is not the simple matter of infantile block-building, we may proceed with high hope since our survey tells us that the ground is well prepared, that man wants a "new deal" and a great deal of life.

Foundations

of Morality

IS

WEAK CORNERSTONES

Fear

of

Consequences

Some moralists today are still trying to rest this new temple of morality on weak and insufficient cornerstones, using, as it were, antiquated implements and faulty materials. T h e first of these to be considered is fear of consequences. T h e r e was a day when sermons alight with the hell-fire of eternal punishment and damnation speedily brought the entire congregation to the mourners' bench. Such fire-alarms today, however, appear to be the most modern and effective means of emptying the house in record-breaking time. One reason for this is that modern man, living solely in the present and desiring more the immediate " N o w " than the distant "Yonder," sees that the natural world shows little partiality for moral individuals. So, he argues, why worry? Another reason is that he feels that he has grown out of the nursery with its childish belief in fairy tales and has entered the sophisticated world of reality where goblins do not get you if you don't watch out and where he has yet to find the secret hidingplaces of the boogy-boogy man. In other words, he is unafraid to take a chance on the consequences of his action. Indeed, it is rather sporting, rather

16

Creative Christian

Living

clever, to get by if you can. Even the fear of whipping posts and chain gangs and electric chairs is not an effective deterrent to wrongdoing, as our overcrowded jails bear witness, especially when one's chances of release are enhanced by packed juries and shyster lawyers. Again, modern man's sophistication has taught him that in other more personal spheres of human conduct certain mechanical devices practically eliminate the possibility of dire results. These few illustrations suffice to show that fear of consequences is becoming increasingly impotent as an answer to "Why be moral?" And perhaps this fact is a good and wholesome thing. Such an appeal is not only poor pedagogy, often producing neuroses, but it is also poor morality in that it offers a most unworthy motive to decent living and is based upon a most ignoble and unchristian conception of God. Ancestral

Authority

The second weak cornerstone of morality is an unreasoning and blanket appeal to ancestral authority. It must be admitted, of course, that one's journey along life's highway can be made much more safely if from time to time one looks into the mirror of the past. On the other hand,

Foundations

of

Morality

17

anyone who keeps his eyes glued on this rear-view m i r r o r is heading for inevitable smash-up in the ever-changing world which lies ahead. T h e r e is ample basis for such a statement. In the first place, no thinking person has justifiable reason for maintaining that our ancestors lived in the golden age of moral perfection. It is indisputable, for example, that the era of puritanism, despite the beneficial values which it cherished and sought to preserve, was decidedly negative, cramping, and repressive. It frustrated and impoverished certain essential demands of human personality. T h e puritan attitude towards bear-baiting is but one extreme illustration, this sport being forbidden, not because it was hard on the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators. N o r can we say that all the social institutions of our predecessors were 100 per cent. Christian. A t once we think of slavery or child labor or the soiled history of the rise of big business, a history in which the development of A m e r ica assumed moral precedence over all else until flagrant scandals and dishonesties and injustices came to be regarded as matters of trivial importance as compared with the one great moral virtue, progress. M o d e r n man sees these weaknesses of yesterday and it is no wonder that he keeps his

18

Creative Christian

Living

fingers crossed when traditional morality is urged upon him. In the second place, life situations evoking moral choice do not remain static. As we shall see in more detail in a later chapter, 2 the times have changed more in the past generation than ever before in history. Consequently, alterations in one's detailed interpretations of right and wrong become imperative. That certain things were rightly done yesterday is no reason why they should be done now, and is not a satisfactory answer to the question, "Why be moral?" Modern man is aware of this difference between his stagesetting for life and that of his forbears. Consequently, a blanket appeal to ancestral authority is seen to be an unhealthy appeal to degeneration and stagnation—and this he cannot abide! Expediency A third insufficient cornerstone upon which to rest the moral life is expediency. This argument is well known since it crosses one's path daily. By many it is considered a worthy motive for upright living. If we pause to examine it, however, we readily see that it breeds a pseudo-morality which is uninspiring, contradictory, uncertain, and 2

Cf. Chapter II, page 47ff.

Foundations

of

Morality

19

p a t h e t i c a l l y superficial. W h e n , f o r example, w e b u i l d o u r lives solely on the p r i n c i p l e or the e q u i v a l e n t of the p r i n c i p l e that " H o n e s t y is the best p o l i c y , " we find ourselves c a u g h t in the g r i p of a m o r a l inconsistency. By reason of its very n a t u r e , such a p r i n c i p l e denotes a self-seeking outlook on l i f e — a n d selfishness is as m o r a l l y deficient as dishonesty. T h e same applies to kindness as the best policy, it being expedient to be kind to others because you will get more out of t h e m in the end. M o r a l l y speaking this is to cut off o u r nose to spite o u r face. A g a i n , considerations of expediency are likely to p r o d u c e n o t h i n g m o r e than convenient conventions, books of etiquette f o r the various strata of society. C e r t a i n practices, f o r one reason or another, are inconvenient to those of one's set and t h e r e f o r e they are banned. But w h e r e does this lead? T h e s e expedient rules are limited to the social circle in w h i c h one moves, as a result of w h i c h m o r a l i t y is relegated to the unstable realm of relativity. I t depends u p o n the c o m p a n y you keep. Such rules, likewise, are often unethical in that they protect one g r o u p at the expense of another, superficial in that they give little consideration to the deepest needs of the individual or of the whole of h u m a n society. T h e problems of self-

20

Creative Christian

Living

indulgence and faithlessness, of unemployment and inhuman living and working conditions often do not enter the picture at all. In substance, the content of morality is depleted if expediency is the only test. T o be sure, a rather fine quality of life may be prompted by this motive alone. Moreover, the pressure of social necessities cannot and need not be wholly ignored, for an action may be right and at the same time expedient. On the other hand, we cannot be bound by expediency or social necessity. Moreover, an action may also be right, indeed the only noble course to follow, and yet most inexpedient as, for example, going to the rescue of a drowning child. STRONG CORNERSTONES

Morality

in Human

Experience

But enough of negations. T h e first strong cornerstone of creative Christian living is the prominent place occupied by morality in human experience. On the stage of man's life there are always two principal characters, the hero and the villain, the Caesar Borgia and the Savonarola, the Caligula and the Christ. Man always recognizes them. In other words, morality is at the very heart of human experience; man is fundamentally and

Foundations

of

Morality

21

inescapably a moral being. But generalities, w e have agreed, do not satisfy. Let us therefore put this general statement under the microscope for more minute examination. First, none would dispute the fact that since the dawn of man the sun has never gone down upon the problem of evil. It is recognized as basic in man's experience and reasoning—and it is a sticker! But an even more basic problem is often overlooked, namely, the correlative problem of goodness. T h o u g h evidences of evil beset us on every side, nevertheless the elan vital, the desire to live, remains dominant. W e r e this not true, the number of suicides would equal the population of the earth. This means but one thing: when all is said and done, man knows that his life, qualitatively speaking, does not come out in the red. W h e n all the evil has been deducted, the residuum of life is good. Moreover, he knows that it is to this goodness, together with its correlatives beauty and truth, that his fundamental nature most desires to attain. T h e inference is apparent without further elaboration. Man is fundamentally a moral being; his truest self-expression demands that he recognize morality as imperative to creative living; and he must of necessity formulate

22

Creative Christian

Living

and follow the highest code of morals of which he is capable. Second, to approach the question from a slightly different angle, the word "right" is one of the most common words in man's vocabulary. It is difficult adequately to define Tightness, but its meaning and significance are always clear. For example, we say politely, "Two lumps and lemon, please," and when we have tasted our tea we know it to be "just right." Of a summer's day an angler wades waist-deep into a cool, clear mountain stream to drop his fly upon the still waters of a shady pool where the big fellow is known to lie. If he catches a bush instead of a fish, his cast is "all wrong." But if his line goes out smoothly and his Royal Coachman falls with scarcely a ripple just beyond that big submerged rock, his cast is "just right." On the gridiron the star fullback receives the ball. H e steps backward to give his interference a moment to clear the way and then with perfect timing he drives for the hole through which the proverbial two-horse team could pass. T h e coach who watches from the bench says that the play was "just right." As the camper returns to breakfast after an invigorating dip in the lake, he exclaims with exultation, "That was just right! I certainly feel fit!"

Foundations

of

Morality

23

Again, what does this mean? I t means that human life seems to be so constituted as to respond favorably to certain stimuli and experiences. An action is right when it fits into the environment, when it permits no friction, when it is complete. Unity, harmony, peace, power, proportion, dignity, wholeness, holiness, these are the touchstones of Tightness by which man, if he is thoughtful, tests the life-giving values of his conduct. And if he is to be consistent, these touchstones must be applied, not only to a segment but to all of his experience and behavior. W h y be moral? I t is the only way to feel right, to feel fit. I t is not a far cry to identify Tightness with righteousness. T h i r d , conscience is man's eternal possession, a primary element in his make-up. Immanuel Kant was speaking for the entire human race when he said that the two things which most impressed him in life were the starry universe above and the moral law within. Sometimes this moral law within is unable to get a word in edgewise, is often unheard because its voice has been allowed to grow weak and whispery from lack of exercise. Nevertheless, no man alive, be he holy saint or hard-boiled sinner, has been able to dispossess himself completely of conscience. N o one is wholly unfamiliar with its dictates or with the

24

Creative

Christian

Living

pangs which follow when these are disregarded. N o one has not at some time in his life felt woefully ashamed, and shame and remorse are utterly impossible unless there be an inherent sense of right and wrong. It is axiomatic, therefore, that man's life is at least partially frustrated if conscience be dismissed from class. It has a piece to speak to which man would do well to listen. Indeed, this moral law within speaks to him with much more authority than any legal or custom morality to which he sometimes prefers to listen. This is not to claim that to obey the dictates of conscience is in itself a valid or sufficient formula for the good life. One realizes only too well that conscience has justified half the worst crimes in history. It is to claim, however, that it has something of indispensable worth to say about life values, and that its existence repeats the strain: man is fundamentally a moral being. And fourth, man is constantly found willfully making choices. As I mention free will, I am not unaware that sparks may fly from heated arguments which maintain that free will does not.exist, that the case for determinism is as clear as daylight in a world where man is what he is and does what he does because of glandular actions and

Foundations

of

Morality

25

reactions and because of physical and environmental combinations of circumstance. I am convinced, however, that these sparks sometimes come from the playful and entertaining Fourth-of-July sparkler and do not burn. On the whole the arguments against free will simply do not fit the facts. F o r one thing, the exalted ideals of good compared with evil, of nobility compared with mediocrity, which man has held down through the thousands of years of his experience, would long since have disappeared if man were merely an automaton or a puppet on a string and these ideals only a mirage. Moreover, shame and remorse are human impossibilities, not only if there is no inherent sense of right and wrong, but also if man is incapable of choice. Again, if the verdict of science be desired, one has only to interview Professor Compton or many another eminent physicist to learn that atoms are freaks, that their action is unpredictable. Consequently, if matter is not predetermined, how can spirit be? Dr. M a x Planck expresses it thus in his illuminating book, Where Is Science Going? "Our own consciousness tells us that our wills are free. And the information which that consciousness directly gives us is the last and highest exercise of our powers of understanding." 3 «New York, W . W. Norton & Co., 1933, p. 101.

26

Creative Christian

Living

The simple fact of life is that man does choose, and any philosophy of life must take this into account if it is to be real, livable, and is best to interpret most of the facts of life. All too frequently philosophies seem to be designed for some would-be Utopia, for some world in which man has never lived, rather than for the here-and-now world of human experience. Free will, then, is a reality and it presupposes that fundamentally we are moral beings. If we wish, we may permit morals to secede from the union. W e may even become accessory before, during, or after the fact. We may boast with a touch of virtue that we are not saints. We may find moral comfort in saying, "Everybody does it." But if we do we shall be cutting our own throats, for whatever the days and years may say, the centuries say that the universe is against those living without moral law. This we know but do not always admit. As the Abbe Dimnet writes, "No matter how cobwebbed our moral lantern, its little light is still steady."4 There burns within us, be it never so dimly, a spiritual light which shows us a high way and a low. Though we may refuse to follow, we cannot escape its beam. *IVhat We Live By, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1932, p. 164.

Foundations

of

Morality

27

W h y be m o r a l ? T o be m o r a l is to be wise e n o u g h not to s w i m against the current of all h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e . T o be m o r a l is to foster the potential p u r p o s e inherent in h u m a n nature. T h i s is o u r first cornerstone. Morality

and

Life

A c o r o l l a r y of the f o r e g o i n g conclusion is that p r i n c i p l e s of m o r a l i t y h a v e arisen in response to the need w h i c h m a n feels to be really alive. Its codes w e r e not fiendishly invented to m a k e l i f e d i f f i c u l t and unpleasant. T h e raison d'etre of m o r a l i t y is to s u p p l y p r a c t i c a l and l o g i c a l w a y s and means of s o l v i n g the ultimate p r o b l e m of all l i f e , w h i c h p r o b l e m is to learn h o w to l i v e together in h a r m o n y and m u t u a l h e l p f u l n e s s and to satisfy the f u n d a m e n t a l instincts of self-preservation and self-expression. I n other words, morality means life. H e r e a g a i n m i c r o s c o p i c investigation is in order. First, I w o u l d point out that m o r a l i t y has not a l w a y s been seen in this light. D o w n t h r o u g h the ages even until n o w m a n y h a v e insisted u p o n d i v o r c i n g m o r a l i t y f r o m life. B y some the f o r m e r has been v i e w e d — a n d not altogether w i t h o u t reason as has been seen above in the treatment of trad i t i o n a l m o r a l i t y — a s a straight-jacket i m p o s e d

28

Creative

Christian

Living

upon the latter, complicating and confining life with its multitudinous negative restrictions. B y others it has been regarded as a cloak for cant and hypocrisy, for mediocrity and superficial respectability. T h e fault, however, is not with morality as such but rather with man and his particular code of morality. T h e r e f o r e , such arguments are really beside the point when it comes to finding personal justification for banishing moral conduct from court. T h e y are but court jesters delighting to mimic and to play the king. Nevertheless this serious misunderstanding of the primary nature and function of true morality persists. Consequently, it is imperative to determine definitely the goal towards which it aims. N o one can play a game intelligently unless he knows where the goal-posts are. I have casually said that morality aims to produce life. W h a t does this imply? I t implies that the cardinal purpose of morality is positive rather than negative, that moral laws of a high quality do not bind life but rather remove the graveclothes that life for one and all be let go into freedom and fullest expression. T o be sure, morality has its negative aspects, but these are merely means to an end. T o illustrate, a servant lights a fire with pages from a valuable first edition and he is well

Foundations

of

Morality

29

content. Not so his master, for his master knows the value of the desecrated book. In like manner the advocates of moral living have consistently condemned infringement of ethical conduct, not because they hold a low opinion of man but because they hold a high opinion of him. T h e y know the value of human life. In other words, instead of being primarily concerned with petty and incidental "Don'ts," true morality is occupied with placing the goal-posts of life on the lofty peaks of positive perfection. As we shall again see in more detail in subsequent chapters, 5 it regards the summum bonum alone to be worthy of its consideration. I f this be the case, it means further that there must be a broadening of one's conception of sin to include any conscious failure on man's part to embrace the opportunity of becoming good, any refusal to choose that which he recognizes and acknowledges he ought to choose. When this goal of morality is envisioned, certain corollaries again follow. F o r one thing, to permit uncritical release to our instincts, to allow them free expression unguided by moral law, is selfdefeating, degrading, and highly confusing. T o which instinct is one to listen first? Experience 6

C f . especially Chapter IV.

30

Creative

Christian

Living

shows them to be in a constant state of warfare among themselves, each struggling selfishly for expression and mastery despite the conflicting claims of others. A l l crowd to the fore, elbowing their neighbors aside without the slightest semblance of the virtue known as politeness. W i t h i n the human personality, Dr. Jekyll is pitted against M r . Hyde. To illustrate, man's instincts tell him to indulge in riotous living and to build a home. He is urged to protect himself and to throw his life away. He is instructed to live with others in a happy spirit of mutual consideration and to seek the fullest self-expression. He is summoned to courage and he knows well the voice of fear. How highly confusing! And if certain dictates are followed to the exclusion of others, how degrading and self-defeating! Again, how much do man's instincts tell him? Certainly they give no specific instructions. They seem to glory in tantalizing generalities. For example, he is told to eat but not what to eat, to drink but not what to drink. They say to him, "Marry," but they do not tell him to whom he should plight his troth. He feels the urge to work but is not instructed at what to bend his efforts. He is summoned to heroism but sometimes, like the proverbial bull standing in the way of the locomotive,

Foundations

of

Morality

31

he becomes foolish instead. H e is told to fight but not w h e n to fight, as a result of w h i c h he m a y e n c o u n t e r a policeman and find himself saying, "Good morning, Judge." T h u s it is a p p a r e n t that living by instinct alone is most unsatisfactory to the m a n w h o cares greatly about the quality of his life. H e becomes c a u g h t in the m a e l s t r o m of p e r p l e x i t y and the swamp of f r u s t r a t i o n . L i f e lived on such a basis may end u p almost anywhere, with the odds in favor of the jungle w h e r e the inhabitants indulge at will and reveal a cannibalistic and carniverous tendency to live on others. I recall a recently published book entitled How to Distinguish Your Relatives from the Apes. I t was written in h u m o r , but it m i g h t well have been written in all seriousness, for it has great possibilities of becoming a very h e l p f u l and p r o p h e t i c guidebook, inasmuch as there are to be seen on every h a n d those w h o are living as if they were h i g h - g r a d e simians. L i f e on this s u b h u m a n level must inevitably result if instincts are not guided by m o r a l law. E v e n advertisers a p p r e c i a t e this w h e n they flaunt before us, " N a t u r e in the raw is seldom m i l d . " T h a t is true. But note, nature in the raw is never w h o l l y h u m a n . T h e same general difficulties arise w h e n m a n entrusts himself solely to scientific inventions.

32

Creative

Christian

Living

T h e r e is no doubt that these may contribute enormously to the enrichment of life; but if they are undirected by moral law, the very life which they were designed to enrich may be destroyed. E l e c tricity, for example, runs the new trains on the Pennsylvania Railroad, but it also runs the safecracker's drill. Radios may produce lovers of music or loafers. Firearms fit equally well the hand of the sportsman and the gangster. Aeroplanes may carry Frankensteins of disaster as well as serums and ambassadors of goodwill. Strychnine may save a life or serve a murderer. T h e facetious remark has been made that bathtubs do not necessarily mean cleanliness for the Romans left traces of their baths and their sins all over Europe. These various considerations force us to the realization that if a high quality of life is to be attained, control, direction, order must be given to our liberty. Otherwise liberty itself will turn to dust in our hand. Henri Amiel expressed this inescapable result when he wrote: " I t is the lack of order which makes us slaves; the confusion of today discounts the freedom of tomorrow." In other words, the phrase "law of liberty" is not a contradiction in terms. Liberty is prostituted if it is identified with license. T h i s is perfectly

Foundations

of

33

Morality

obvious and yet this prostitution has been growing in popularity, especially since the World W a r . Only now is man coming to see that Huxley was right when he said that one's worst difficulties begin when he is able to do what he likes. And seeing this, man's back will no longer bristle, he will not continue to put himself immediately on the defensive, when it is suggested that moral law is imperative and that it must be applied to life. Rather will he sit up and take notice, realizing that it points him to the looming highest, that it supplies " T h e Design for Living" without which life is pauperized. W h y be moral? T h e answer is becoming increasingly obvious. T o be moral means to be alive both in one's individual and corporate life. T o be moral means to be ever on the up and up, qualitatively as well as quantitatively. This is our second cornerstone. The fVay, the Truth, and the

Life

Many would-be master builders of this temple of faith and moral conduct cease operations here and stand off to admire their handiwork with pride and satisfaction. Many who pause to look upon it, however, are left cold, oppressed with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. T h e priceless

34

Creative

Christian

Living

ingredient of creative living seems to be missing. They feel instinctively that something is wrong, that any structure of morality erected on these two foundation stones alone will be lopsided and flabby, unable to stand when beaten upon by the fluctuating winds of the world. It promises to be elaborate yet uninspiring, somehow incapable of arousing an insatiable desire to enter. The reason for this instinctive feeling of inadequacy is not far to seek. The most important cornerstone of all, the head cornerstone, has yet to be put into place. This does not mean that no progress has been made. For one thing, we have come to see that man has certain moral indispensables, that there is something in life which is sacred, something worth living for and perhaps worth dying for. T o appreciate this is eminently worth while. There is need, however, to indicate more specifically just what in life is worth living and dying for, to set up a standard by which to test life's values. Without such a standard man might, when told to go out and do something big and clean, turn his attention either to cleaning up the slums of a city or to washing an elephant! Morality thus far has been spoken of in vague and nebulous terms as if it were a "traffic code," a way to enable as many desires as

Foundations

of

Morality

35

possible to reach their goal as quickly as possible. O b v i o u s l y this is not enough. M o r e o v e r , it is vitally i m p o r t a n t f o r m a n to realize that he has vast capacities within himself f o r attaining to a high quality of life. T h e discussion thus f a r has endeavored to m a k e these more vivid. Yet this is n o t h i n g m o r e than h u m a n i s m and, despite the fact that this philosophy of life has achieved m u c h w h i c h deserves the commendation of everyone, life lived on a p u r e l y humanistic basis seems doomed to cynicism and despair. D u r ing recent years this m a n - m a d e recipe for life has been given a f a i r trial, but recent evidence seems to indicate that it is now c r u m b l i n g into f u t i l i t y and f r u s t r a t i o n . I t crumbles because it is altogether of this earth, earthy. M a n alone is f o u n d w a n t i n g as the ruler of his destiny. D r . P l a n c k again points the w a y out, speaking not only for science but also for the whole realm of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e : " I t would be a piece of stupid sacrilege on o u r p a r t if we w e r e to arrogate to ourselves the p o w e r of being able, on the basis of o u r own studies, to see as clearly as the eye of G o d sees and to u n d e r s t a n d as clearly as the Divine S p i r i t understands." 6 If life is to come to its fullest f r u i tion, it must be lifted u p and set against its eternal *Op. cit.,

p. 103.

36

Creative Christian

Living

background. It must be seen through the eyes of God. It is the inevitable law of life that man soon loses faith in himself and others when he loses his faith in God. T o express it another way, just as man cannot seek anything less than the moon to raise the tide, so he cannot expect anything less than God to raise the tide of life. If we are to be right with the various points on the circumference of life, we must first be right with the center. And the center is God! Thus must an old prophecy again be fulfilled as we continue to lay the foundations of a creative morality: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." 7 Jesus Christ must be "the head of the corner." H e makes the difference. He, supremely, tells us why we should be moral. He is the standard by which to judge life's values. He is the Truth that leads into the Way that issues in the Life. He incarnates our fondest dream. He presents a new conception of what life should and can be for all men. He reveals life set against its eternal background where men are seen as bona fide sons of God. As the Bishop of Oxford wrote many years ago: " I t is on the basis of a new life introduced and active in the world that all Christian ethical ' L u k e 20:17.

Foundations

of

Morality

37

theory is erected. T h e human life that is under discussion is a fuller thing than had ever been supposed before, the area of human action is enlarged so as to take in the whole spiritual world, and a new certainty and clearness of meaning has been given to it." 8 T h i s is not to say that Christianity is simply or even primarily an ethic. Many insist upon regarding it as such and then they wonder why it lacks driving power. H o w often do we hear, for example, that the substance of real Christianity is to put the Sermon on the Mount or T h e Golden Rule into practice, that the main thing to do is to follow "the way of Jesus," that it matters little what we believe so long as we lead a good life. Superficially, the exhortation thus to do away with the complicated intricacies of theology and get down to the rock bottom of pure unadulterated ethics would seem to be good advice to a pragmatic and utilitarian world. I t fits in perfectly with the much-approved counsel which Pasteur once gave to a friend who said, " I f I had your principles I would be a better man," to which Pasteur replied, " B e g i n by being a better man and you will have my principles." Unquestionably there is much sound and practical truth in such an attitude. 8

T . B. Strong, Christian

Ethics,

p. 68, quoted in Barry, op. cit.

38

Creative

Christian

Living

Christ himself said: " I f any man willeth to do His [God's] will, he shall know the doctrine." 9 But theology cannot be so simply relegated to the back seat. Undoubtedly Christianity is a way of living. Y e t to follow this way is vastly more than the simple process of taking Christ's recorded sayings and applying them to life's situations as one would apply a yardstick to a piece of cloth. L i f e today is too filled with perplexities and complexities, with hesitations and weaknesses, to permit anyone to ask, " W h a t would Jesus do under these circumstances?", and expect to get a conclusive answer in such rule-of-thumb fashion. No, man sees life failing him and himself failing life, he finds himself in moral chaos, he realizes that he has lost faith in himself and faith in others—why? Principally because of the poverty of his vision of and faith in God. Christianity, therefore, can never be primarily an ethic, even though its ultimate appeal must always be to the fruits of Christian living and their moral vitality and effectiveness. Christianity is primarily a revelation. T o make a long story short, the Christian way of living is impossible apart from the Christian religion. A creedless religion tends soon to become a deedless »John 7:17.

Foundations

of

Morality

39

r e l i g i o n . T h e r e f o r e , the C h r i s t i a n ethic must be p r e d i c a t e d upon the C h r i s t i a n conception of G o d if it is to function p r o p e r l y . W h e n all is said and done, C h r i s t ' s unique g i f t to the w o r l d w a s not an u n i q u e or entirely o r i g i n a l code of ethics but r a t h e r an unique revelation of the mind and spirit and c h a r a c t e r of G o d , an u n p a r a l l e l e d vision of the abundant l i f e of m a n w h e n he lives in conscious f e l l o w s h i p w i t h a divine F a t h e r . I f there is to be any such t h i n g as creative C h r i s t i a n l i v i n g , this absolutely basic f a c t must burn itself into man's consciousness and haunt h i m the rest of his days! I t is this revelation f o r w h i c h the w o r l d is crying today. N o substitute w i l l suffice. W i t h o u t it no p h i l o s o p h y of l i f e is complete. I t alone w i l l restore life's radiance. It alone w i l l eradicate man's sense of weariness and f u t i l i t y . I t alone w i l l b r i n g h a r m o n y and p e a c e out of chaos. It alone w i l l s u p p l y an adequate m e a n i n g and p u r p o s e to l i f e and lend a d y n a m i c sufficient unto the attainment thereof. D r . B a r r y makes v i v i d this f o c a l point of all creative C h r i s t i a n l i v i n g w h e n he writes, " C h r i s t i a n i t y , w h e n it is true to its o w n genius, is able to believe in M a n recklessly, despite all that saddens and discourages, because it has seen the vision of G o d , the eternal source of a l l

40

Creative

Christian

Living

worth and w o n d e r — l i f t i n g us up to become sons of God . . . W h a t may not yet be if w e have grace to rise to it—if across the confusion of the world, outwardly secure and self-indulgent, inw a r d l y blinded by doubt and self-distrust, w e could show the light of that compelling vision . . . T h e heart and life of the Christian ethic is the redemption of our desires and wills, the transfiguration of our values, by God's power and presence in Christ Jesus. Nothing short of that can be called Christian, however f r i e n d l y to the Christian spirit." 1 0 Only when man's destiny here and hereafter is seen through the eyes of God can mankind, that vast society of sons of God, find a w h o l l y satisfying and completely energizing answer to their common query, " W h y be moral?" T h e revelation of Jesus Christ is our third and head cornerstone. * * * * * These I believe to be the three cornerstones of creative Christian living. Thus are laid the foundations of a creative morality. T h e implications of the sweeping statements which have been made are profound and staggering. T h e y w i l l not permit summary dismissal. Rather do they demand 10

Op. cit., p. 130ff.

Foundations

of

Morality

41

penetrating examination. Consequently, I shall build upon these foundations in subsequent chapters, not seeking so much to demonstrate that this or that behavior is wrong as to develop eternal principles of morality and to supply suggestions for the formulation of a philosophy of life, to ascertain what the application of the Christian Fact will mean in our life and conduct, what new hope and power and radiance will be ours when we see "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 11 " I I Corinthians 4:6.

II CREATIVE LIVING FOR INDIVIDUAL

THE

T H E next step in the building of a temple of creative Christian living has already been indicated. It is to lend specific light and prompting to the application of the Christian Fact to the chaotic twentieth-century day. H o w , in a time of moral uncertainty and rapid change, may one find reliable criteria for evaluating competing standards of life and achieve for himself and for society a wholesome and stable moral attitude? A t this point an artificial distinction between creative Christian living for the individual and creative Christian living for society must be made merely for convenience of approach. A t the outset I would make it clear that this method of procedure does not imply any divorce between the personal and the social ethic. T h e "social gospel" and the "personal gospel," so-called, are not and cannot be mutually exclusive. T h e y are but terms of one paradox. On the one hand, it is impossible — o r at least it should be impossible—to think of morality except in terms of society. Society is not

44

Creative Christian Living

the certified product which it is sometimes considered to be, the result of independent individuals coming together for purposes of safety. M a n is inherently social. H e was elected at birth to life membership in the body politic. H e was made for society; society was not made for him. On the other hand, it is equally impossible to think of morality except in terms of the individual. Society is not an organization but an organism, and individual personalities are its life-giving cells. T h e individual has been, is, and ever will be the unit of this corporate body, the fount and nexus of its life. T h e r e f o r e , though we shall now concentrate upon the individual, our logical starting point, it must constantly be remembered that we shall soon turn with equal fervor to the society of which this individual is an indispensable member. I repeat, the ultimate problem of all life is to learn how to live together and to satisfy the fundamental instincts of self-preservation and self-expression. T h i s dual nature of the problem of life has not always been appreciated. Consequently, we must labor all the more strenuously to bring these two estranged members of one family back under the same roof where they may labor together in love towards the fullest and most complete enrichment

For the Individual

45

of the lives of men. W e must arrive at a practical and working synthesis between the personal ethic and the social ethic. T H E COLLEGE

ENVIRONMENT

T h e place where this individual is to live and move and have his being is the college campus. About this environment and the individual living therein several pertinent questions must first be asked and answered, for in morals as in medicine no prescription, however potent, will effect a cure unless it is compounded after the needs of the case have been examined. Certainly no moral oculist will help a man see the way of life more clearly if he drops his eye-wash from the top of a tall building, trusting that it will fall in the eye of the right person. W h a t , then, is the nature of this environment? W h a t kind of person is this much-discussed college student? A r e his problems unique, new, abnormal? Indeed, what are his problems? T o answer these questions adequately will in and of itself solve some of the college student's moral difficulties and will certainly aid him in his battle with the others.

46

Creative Nothing

Christian

Living

New Under the Sun

T h e author of Ecclesiastes spoke profound truth when he said, "There is no thing new under the sun." W h e n viewed f r o m one angle, the history of man's moral development is strikingly dull and monotonous. Down through the ages the same forces are seen pitted against each other, the same victories are won, the same battles lost. Human nature is human nature regardless of time and place. In this connection, I recall mention made by Dr. Stanley Jones of the oldest bit of writing known to man, a piece of papyrus in a Constantinople museum. On it are written the words, "Alas, times are no longer what they used to be. Children w i l l no longer obey their parents and everybody wants to write a book." A p p a r ently, there is nothing new under the sun. Conditions on the college campus must be examined in the light of this observation. A l l too frequently there is interjected into the alreadyexistent multitude of twentieth-century knots to be untied something about which people become very excited, the "youth problem." I am convinced that this isolation of youth as a special problem is not only an unwarranted mistake but also a grave disaster. It is to accentuate a condition which has

For the

Individual

47

always existed. Such accentuation tends only to make youth self-conscious and conspicuous and to make those who deal with them afraid of what is supposed to be a vast horde of queer, odd human beings who never before lived on land or sea. T h e r e ii no need to be perturbed about this "youth problem." In the final analysis, the questionings and dilemmas of youth, their quests and their ambitions, their successes and their failures are fundamentally the same the world over and have ever been much the same since Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon days. Like the youth of all ages and also like their contemporary elders, college students today still want health, security, success in work, beauty, honor, wisdom, and love. These they still find conflicting with one another and with the antagonistic world of reality much as they have always done down through generations of history and folk-lore. Again it is seen that there is nothing new under the sun. The Old Order

Changeth

But another sage, Tennyson, was also expressing a profound truth when he wrote, " T h e old order changeth, yielding place to new." Looking at the matter f r o m another angle, we cannot hoodwink the fact that the world of experience is not static.

48

Creative Christian

Living

T h e old regime does change, and it has been changing very rapidly in recent years especially. Consequently, a multiplicity of new and unique moral problems have developed in contemporary l i f e — a n d the college w o r l d has not been exempt. Consider, for example, the g a p between the modern student's outlook and that of his grandparents when they were his age. T h e i r civilization was largely a g r a r i a n ; his is h i g h l y industrial and he is on the threshold of the era of the automatic machine. T h e y g r e w up in the era of free land; it is now gone. T h e i r economics was that of production; their ethics those of individualism. " W o r k hard," "save," " f r e e competition" were their watchwords. T o d a y the problem of distribution has become central, collectivism is demanded, and at least a certain degree of governmental control is imperative. " S p e n d , " "share," "cooperate" are the new slogans. M o r e o v e r , w h e n his grandparents were in c o l l e g e — i f , indeed, they went to college, w h i c h is d o u b t f u l — t h e y had never heard of relativity, Fords, broadcasting, the Eighteenth Amendment, talkies, O l d G o l d tests, technological unemployment, j a z z , psychoanalysis, racketeering, L e a g u e of Nations, telephones, homecoming games, v a c u u m cleaners, vitamins, companionate

Individual

49

marriage, or M i c k e y Mouse. 1 I n gap between the outlooks of two enormous. I t is no wonder that century skyline which has already assumes the shapes it does.

substance, this generations is the twentiethbeen examined

For the

A l l of this is of genuine import in the life of the college student today. T h o u g h he is still seeking the same things, nevertheless the situation is vastly different. In this new world, he must find and is finding new ways of getting and losing health, new possibilities of security, new demands for beauty, new surroundings for love. H e must reckon with new attitudes towards life, as a result of which he cannot rest content, as has been seen, with many of the outmoded dictates of traditional morality. I n this particular year of grace, he is "in a picklement," again a phrase which his forbears would not have understood because they had never listened to Amos and A n d y ! Consider, also, the difference between life in a college community and life in the world at large, a difference which has always existed but which has assumed unheard-of proportions in recent years by reason of the unprecedented influx into 'Cf. Education Adequate tion Press, 1931.

for Modern

Times,

New York, Associa-

50

Creative

Christian

Living

centers of higher learning. 2 Though in the world, the college is not altogether of the world. L i f e within its boundaries is in many respects unnatural, abnormal, artificial, restricted. F o r the most part it is theoretical and academic, savoring more of the hothouse than of the bread-and-butter realm of human experience. T o be sure, the student is confronted with old and familiar moral problems, but they are presented in a very urgent and aggravated form, often with new and unique twists which are highly confusing and call for special handling. Several illustrations will clarify these issues. F o r one thing, adolescence, that tempestuous sea upon which many a life is wrecked, is prolonged for four or more years. T h e implications of this are stupendous. In general it means a protracted struggle with every temptation peculiar to youth, a struggle made more severe by heightened acuteness. Accomplishment, independence, life work, marriage—all these are delayed and resulting tension is not to be wondered at. Specifically it may mean that because a student lives in a society of adolescents he is deprived to some extent at least of the steadying example of maturity. I t may JIn the past thirty years, the college population has increased approximately 4 5 0 % while the population of the country has increased approximately 7 8 % .

For the

Individual

51

mean that purity is in constant state of siege with no prospect of immediate relief. This postponement of the satisfaction of achievement, despite the undergraduate activities which are designed to supply this satisfaction, may and often does breed boredom, irresponsibility, or frivolity, three attitudes frequently in evidence on a college campus. A student's protracted financial dependence upon the home may become a moral liability by reason of the fact that his parents may deem it their prerogative, since they are paying the bills, to insist either by implication or enforcement that he be emotionally and intellectually dependent upon them as well. It is by no means uncommon for severe emotional and moral conflicts, some obvious and others subtle, to arise in this manner out of family ties. Undergraduate radicalism, the much discussed "revolt of youth," is often nothing more than an expression of resentment against such dependence. T h i s defense mechanism may express itself in a direct radical attack upon parental ideas and ideals or it may be evidenced by a defiance of those who stand in loco parentis, that is, deans, professors, or policemen. These are but a few of the many moral problems unique to college life which have their roots in this unnatural prolongation of the adolescent period.

52

Creative Christian

Living

Again, aspects of the educational system as such may in some instances upset the moral applecart of youth by giving new twists to still other familiar problems. T h e very fact that a large number of students from various environments and with differing ideals of moral behavior must be brought together into one intimate family may befuddle moral standards and judgments generally. T h e educational institution itself may by its actions unintentionally teach a passive and profitable surrender to the mores, with the result that the student comes to worship the gods of bulk and noise, of mass production and numbers, of all that can be converted into cold cash. The highly organized extra-curricular life may be conducive to dissipation of time and energy, superficiality of endeavor, warped scales of values, office-seeking for the sake of control rather than service, and personal ambition and snobbery or, conversely, maladjustments and inferiority complexes. Moreover, the attitude of some educators, who spoon out patented knowledge and who think only of covering the prescribed facts of the course, may exalt sheer memory at the expense of creative thinking or may provide ample opportunity for the student to indulge in intellectual immoralities such as bluffing or mental laziness or cheating.

For the

Individual

53

T h e content of many examinations may present the student with similar temptations, catch questions often causing him to feel that he has a legitimate right to catch the professor before the professor catches him. These and other moral problems do exist in and are peculiar to the college environment; and all of them are intensified when, as is often the case, the relationship between the students and the members of the faculty and administration is highly impersonal. Such is the nature of the college environment, such the nature of its problems—Old yet ever new. T h o u g h enormously complex, these problems in this environment are not insurmountable. T o face them squarely and to appreciate them is in itself to take strides towards overcoming them. Moreover, the college community can boast the same optimistic horizon as the world at large. 3 Many developments are likewise taking place here which give just cause for hope. College administrators, for example, are working valiantly to iron out apparent weaknesses in order that the educational system, which on the whole is highly to be praised despite the deficiencies which have been enumerated, may provide an 3

Cf. page l l f f .

54

Creative

atmosphere more development.

Christian conducive

Living to

well-rounded

Moreover, the students themselves refuse to assume a defeatist attitude. T h e y are not going to the proverbial dogs, as some chronic critics would have us believe. T o be sure, many are still living as they are advertised to be, playing the fool, sometimes reluctantly, simply because it is supposedly the thing to do. M a n y are still caught in the grip of a vicious world system, even as most adults are. But all this notwithstanding, I am confident that their realism and sincerity of approach to moral problems will enable them to renovate creatively. Indeed, I sometimes marvel that they have made their way with as much skill as they have over these uncharted moral seas, especially in view of the prevalent hazy "whether." I am convinced that they are still motivated by idealism and high-mindedness; that they are willing and eager to be "searchingly exposed to what is noble, generous, and faith-provoking," to use Professor Hocking's haunting words; and that they are ready to respond to religion if the presentation be genuine and adventuresome, free from lopsidedness, and interpreted in terms of actual experience,

For the

Individual

55

creative living, and spiritual vitality. 4 In a w o r d , they w i l l answer the challenge of life on the looming heights if only someone will point them to the trail. KNOW THYSELF

T h e first cue as to practical ways and means of g e t t i n g one's moral house in o r d e r comes f r o m A l e x a n d e r P o p e ' s Essay on Man: Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; T h e proper study of mankind is man.

W i t h o u t becoming m o r b i d l y introspective and w i t h o u t killing himself by h o l d i n g his finger too long on his own spiritual pulse, the student desirous of attaining to a h i g h e r quality of life looks within. Like the wise m e r c h a n t w h o wishes to strengthen his business, he periodically takes stock of his m o r a l assets and liabilities. W h a t does h e learn w h e n he thus makes a m o r a l inventory? Man's Stock in Trade As has already been noted, he learns that m a n is m a d e u p of a vast n u m b e r of conflicting instincts 4 I r r e l i g i o n or t h e loss of religion in college can o f t e n be t a b u l a t e d u n d e r t h e h e a d i n g " I n f a n t M o r t a l i t y . " A n a r t i c l e w h i c h a p p e a r e d in t h e Atlantic Monthly of J u n e , 1932, a n d entitled " W h a t C o l l e g e D i d to M y R e l i g i o n , " m i g h t m o r e p r o p e r l y r e a d , " W h a t S u n d a y School D i d to M y R e l i g i o n . " In o t h e r w o r d s , e a r l y r e l i g i o u s t r a i n i n g o f t e n f a i l s to p r o d u c e t h e type of religion t h a t h a s the c a p a c i t y to " g r o w u p . " A f a i r p r e s e n t a t i o n a n d continuous e d u c a t i o n w i l l c o u n t e r a c t this influence.

56

Creative

Christian

Living

each clamoring f o r expression. W i t h i n him there exists a veritable menagerie—angry tiger and senseless ape, timid sheep and stubborn mule. W i t h i n him there lives a multitude of personalities •—hero, coward, philosopher, dreamer, sinner, saint. A s he looks more closely, however, several facts of practical import impress themselves upon his consciousness, facts which are not always seen at first glance. T h e first thing noted is that none of these fundamental attributes of human nature is a vice or a virtue in its own right. T h e y are in a state awaiting moralization, in an age of innocence, innocent alike of good or evil. T h e popular picture "The A g e of Innocence" does not represent the personification of goodness but rather the personification of moral neutrality. W h e t h e r these attributes of human nature are to be good or bad w i l l be determined by the use to which they are put, by the forms of expression which they assume. Each is a potential asset or liability. Each is designed to produce life but each may equally well destroy life. Dr. Hadfield expresses it thus: "Evil, like dirt, is misplaced matter, or, rather, misdirected function, valuable in itself, noxious if out of place."

For the

Individual

57

It is true that there are activities of personality which in themselves appear to be evil—conceit and vanity, avarice and hypocrisy, greed and lust. These activities, however, are but perversions of primary instincts which in themselves are valuable. They are "out of place" and therefore noxious. The powerful drive to self-expression, for instance, may be creative or destructive. Sex may be the gateway into a garden where all is wholesome and beautiful, or the trapdoor into a pit where everything is filthy and vile. This first observation, the moral neutrality of instincts, is vitally important. Man will be assisted no end towards attaining moral perfection if he realizes with Dr. Herbert Gray that "A God of love in designing our human nature cannot have put into it anything which is incapable of a pure and happy exercise."5 The second thing noted is that these fundamental attributes of human nature may even come to expression in conduct and yet still be devoid of moral content. An act may be regrettable or even life-destroying and yet not morally wrong, even as it may abound in life-giving value and yet not be morally right. This is because the essential ingredients of moral significance are consciousβ

Mm,

Women

and God, New York, Association Press, 1922, p. xi.

58

Creative

Christian

Living

ness, reason, and an appreciated sense of moral values. M a n cannot sin involuntarily or unintentionally. H e commits an immoral act only when he knows the right and deliberately chooses the wrong, when he consciously misuses his moral initiative. This second observation is likewise equally vital. I t releases the tension caused by morbid worry and a personal sense of guilt and thereby lets one go forward unhampered by the failures of the past. Such a realization also does away with much unjust criticism of the conduct of others, substituting sympathy and understanding in its stead. A third observation follows as a corollary. Right and wrong expressions of fundamental instincts, or in other words the moral content of certain actions, do not always remain the same throughout the span of human life. Evil may be the discarded good of yesterday. Traits of character may with the passing of the years cross the moral boundary line. Physical pugnacity, for example, is certainly not praiseworthy in a man of sixty, though none would dispute the fact that it is highly desirable in a boy of twelve. T h e same applies to any number of other instincts. Part of man's task, therefore, if he is to know the joys of moral progress, is to refuse to remain young

For the

Individual

59

beyond his years, to grow up, to put away childish things. Self-Examination H a v i n g thus examined his stock in trade, the wise man continues his moral inventory by examining himself in the light of the general principles which have been laid down. Such self-examination is imperative if he is to learn how to be moral, if he is not to be forever a theorist. Only when he knows w h e r e he stands, w h a t his present m o r a l status is, will he know what is needed to lift the level of his life. Moreover, only then will he be possessed of a sense of need, without which he will make no effort. Self-examination is not always made honestly. M a n y participate in the world's most p o p u l a r indoor sport, namely, rationalization, that mental process by which men with one accord begin to make excuses and find supposedly good reasons for bad actions. M a n y pet rationalizations are familiar. T h e student, for example, may say that temptations in college are unusually severe. T h i s has already been admitted, but the outside w o r l d is not strewn with rose petals either. Moreover, temptation is not w r o n g in itself but merely an opportunity for w r o n g — o r for good. H e may say

60

Creative Christian

Living

that his particular moral struggle is much more acute than that of the average person, as a result of which he has weakened when others have remained strong. This plea may be justified, for there are "moral freaks," men like Henry Drummond who seem to feel but slightly the customary onslaught of temptation. These freaks are few and far between, however, so it is extremely unlikely that his moral battle is peculiarly intense. By and large we all struggle alike against practically the same odds. Or he may explain his conduct by saying that he wishes to see and taste of life for the sake of experience, that he wants to learn what life is really like. If this be his purpose, why go to places where life is perverted rather than at its best? Other illustrations of rationalization are to be found in the popular appeal to half-truths. One of these is that sin is merely a phase of growth, an inevitable incident in successful moral climbing. Sowing one's wild oats and having one's fling are regarded as natural and even healthy stages on the road of moral ascent. The answer to this is simple: though goodness and wrongdoing do appear in relation to growth, the fact remains that wrongdoing is always a step down, a failure to climb successfully, a sign of degeneration and

For the

Individual

61

decay rather than of growth. Another half-truth says that sin is merely a disease, a condition which invalidates all moral responsibility. H e r e again there is a seed of truth. Sin and disease do often meet on common ground, the one being responsible f o r the other; but it does not always follow that, because a doctor can cure an earache and a bad temper at one and the same time, they are the same. A n earache does not always produce a bad temper, and bad tempers have been known to exist in the absence of earaches. W e must of course make a distinction between moral disease and moral fault. A person is certainly not to be held morally liable for acts resulting from the former. T h i s is why the homicidal maniac is isolated rather than electrocuted. On the other hand, a person is to be held morally accountable if he recognizes moral deficiencies in his life and does not seek to cure them, if he steadily and willfully fails to turn his perverted impulses into positive virtues. In the final analysis, then, rationalization needs to be avoided as if it were the plague. Indeed, it is a practice which is in itself morally wrong in that it defeats the ends and purposes of life. Honest appraisal, however, supplies the information necessary to moral progress. W h e n a man

62

Creative Christian

Living

faces the music in the deeps of his o w n soul, he sees himself as one w h o has in one w a y or another missed the m a r k . H e finds practices and attitudes and interests in his l i f e w h i c h he knows should not be there, some of w h i c h he has most c a r e f u l l y sought to keep f r o m the eyes of the w o r l d . H e learns also that m a n y of the practices and attitudes and interests w h i c h m a k e other lives rich and abundant and e x c i t i n g are l a c k i n g in his own. I n substance, he becomes conscious of his repeated f a i l u r e to e m b r a c e the o p p o r t u n i t y of b e c o m i n g good, of his frequent w i l l f u l refusal to choose that w h i c h he recognizes and a c k n o w l e d g e s he o u g h t to choose. T h i s is the ultimate outcome of such self-examination, regardless of the m o r a l l e v e l to w h i c h one has a l r e a d y attained. I n d e e d , the h i g h e r one climbs on life's m o r a l ladder, the m o r e c l e a r l y does one see the boundless h o r i z o n of life's possibilities, and the less l i k e l y is he to be afflicted w i t h that most insidious of m o r a l diseases, c h r o n i c satisfaction of the soul. S u c h honest self-examination is not an easy matter. F o r this reason some h a v e f o u n d it h e l p f u l to e m p l o y p a p e r and pencil, to d r a w up in b l a c k and w h i t e a personal l e d g e r on w h i c h are listed all m o r a l credits and debits. D e s p i t e the m e c h a n i c a l aspects of such a practice, this method does serve

For the

Individual

63

to b r i n g one's problems out into the open where they may be seen and analyzed. Others have f o u n d it necessary to seek out the counsel of another, perhaps a friend, perhaps an expert in h u m a n nature. N o one should hesitate to see a good psychiatrist, for example, if his case seems to w a r r a n t it, for the roots of many evils lie buried deep within the h u m a n personality, so deep, in fact, and of such long standing, that only an expert can unearth them. T w o corollaries follow in the wake of honest self-appraisal. First, when personal failures and shortcomings have been b r o u g h t to light, they must be admitted boldly. Sincere confession, however it be conducted, has always been a factor of cardinal importance in religious and moral growth towards self-mastery and self-realization. A n d second, one must, in so f a r as he is able, make amends for the mistakes and omissions of the past. I n common parlance, a "Reparations T r e a t y " must be signed, the terms of which must of course be determined by the individual. T o bring oneself to the point of thus m a k i n g restoration is often extremely difficult, unpleasant, and humiliating. I t would be much easier simply to resolve never to do such-and-such again. T h e better way, however, the Christian way, insists that one go and be recon-

64

Creative

Christian

Living

ciled with his brother before bringing his gift to the altar. T o be thus reconciled releases new powers which nothing else can release and drives one forward with new courage and heightened self-esteem to the accomplishment of the tasks which lie before. WILL POWER

Thus far this imaginary student has merely been clearing the decks for moral action. H e must now go to work to bring the creative power of his will to bear upon the situation. A strong will is to be numbered among the qualities most to be admired in man. Many are the thrilling stories of the miraculous feats which this stoic quality of iron determination has accomplished. Therefore, if he would be strong, if he would follow resolutely the highest that he knows, he will patiently endeavor to strengthen his will by means of regular exercise and continual discipline. W h a t does this imply? How is it to be done? Two Methods

of

Attack

T h e r e are two ways in which one may attempt by power of will to overcome evil and transform it

For

the

Individual

65

into positive virtue. One is negative, the other positive. A purely negative attack, though it may accomplish certain desired results, is comparatively ineffective. W h a t happens, for example, when one seeks to purify his mind by a negative act of w i l l ? T o say in Coue fashion, " I ' l l not have such thoughts, I ' l l not have such thoughts," merely accentuates the thoughts which he has willed to banish. Again, what happens if he dismisses a fault without replacing it with a virtue? H e has the experience of a certain man in the N e w T e s tament: the dismissed "devil" comes back with seven other "devils," all occupy the clean but empty space, and the second state of the man is worse than the first. O r again, what is the result when the will, seeking to achieve self-control, represses rather than sublimates certain instinctive emotions? T h e y become like boys expelled from school who continue to torment by throwing stones. One's only hope of getting them under control is to receive them back again. A l l in all, then, the negative attack is found wanting. T h e best way to get darkness out of a room is not to try to sweep it out but rather to throw open the shades that the sun may shine in. T h i s simile points the way to the positive attack, which has

66

Creative

Christian

Living

infinite possibilities. I f positive virtues, sought after and developed by the will, are enlisted as allies, the individual will is no longer left to fight the battle against evil alone, for these allies will harass the enemy on every flank. T h e y will squeeze out the negative wrong simply because two bodies cannot occupy the same space. T h e y will guard against the establishment of a moral void within the individual personality by setting up housekeeping in the recently vacated residence. T h e y provide channels for the sublimation of certain instinctive emotions and thereby do away with repressions. T h e positive attack, which is of the essence of Christianity, is man's only hope. Habits A t this point a study of habits is relevant inasmuch as habits always have their inception as acts of will. T h e importance of the role played by them on the stage of life can scarcely be overestimated. T h e y count for much more than maxims because they are the living maxims of conduct and character. Moreover, they are enormous timesavers. W h e n a habit has once been formed, action becomes spontaneous and the will is thus relieved of responsibility and freed to turn its attention to other duties. T h i s is of inestimable

For the

Individual

67

value. Imagine, for example, how ineffective and restricted life would be if eating or dressing or d r i v i n g an automobile remained forever w i l l f u l , conscious actions. N o , W i l l i a m J a m e s was right when he said that habit is "the enormous fly-wheel of society, its most precious conservative agent . . . T h e r e is no more miserable h u m a n being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision." H a b i t s take on special significance for the underg r a d u a t e by reason of the fact that habits of character, according to psychologists, set like plaster a f t e r the age of twenty-five or thirty. T h i s means that the college environment is the birthplace of m a n y of the habits which are to determine and govern life in the years to come. T h e r e f o r e it behooves the student to bend his will, while he is still young, to the formation of habits of character which will wear well and give lasting satisfaction. H o w is one to go about this most practical task of f o r m i n g new and creative habits, of breaking old and destructive ones? First, he will begin immediately with as strong and decided an initiative as possible, enveloping his resolution with every aid he can summon and m a k i n g his environment as conducive as he can to the ends in view. Of course he must guard against giving the will

68

Creative

Christian

Living

such a stiff task at first that its defeat becomes assured. For this reason some have advocated building up or tapering off gradually. Under some circumstances this is advisable, but as a general rule experts advise against this despite the severe strain which is temporarily imposed upon the body and the will. Next, he will permit no exceptions until the new habit has become securely rooted in his life or the old habit broken. Each lapse is like letting a top which he is winding slip out of his hand—even though it is but a "little slip," the whole thing unwinds and he must start all over. Because of this danger, it is well to leave no physical provision for a relapse. If, for example, a man is trying to break the habit of drink, he will make a mistake if he puts the bottle in his medicine cabinet in case he is sick tomorrow. He will be sick tomorrow! It has been said that Jesus told the cripple to "take up his bed" for this very reason, namely, that there might be no provision for a relapse. And most important of all, he will develop the art—and the building of character is an art, not a gift of nature—of combating bad habits by acquiring creative habits contradictory to them. This, again, is the positive attack which on the whole is most effective.

For the

Individual

69

So much, then, for general principles. More will be learned of this art of habit formation as we now proceed to examine specific habits which are conducive to moral growth. T h e first of these to be considered is the habit of discipline. This habit is none too popular nowadays. T o some it seems to savor of ascetic selfdenial and bodily annihilation. T o others it seems to militate against the spontaneity and freedom which they so much desire. T h e fact remains, however, that discipline is to be included among the fundamental prerequisites of creative Christian living. A paramount need of man today is to find the moral equivalent of asceticism, to subject his life to a discipline which is positive and constructive. Under no circumstances, therefore, can this habit be neglected. T h e reasons are obvious. Concentrated energy and self-control do not spring into being in some magical Aladdin-lamp fashion. T h e classroom and the gridiron are classic though trite illustrations. These qualities are the product of a well-ordered and regulated life, a life tempered by self-imposed discipline and training. All experts in living have found this to be true. 6 Consequently, they have formulated for • A l b e r t Schweitzer, for example, "practiced the o r g a n " while in A f r i c a by using a table as a keyboard and the floor as the foot-pedala. Out of My Life and Thought, New York, Henry Holt & Co., 1933— a stimulating autobiography of an ordered life.

70

Creative

Christian

Living

themselves definite disciplinary practices or rules of life to which they have forced themselves to adhere strictly. Some have even found it helpful to employ the mechanical device of writing out these rules or principles and putting them in a conspicuous place so that they will be constantly before their mind's eye. These disciplinary measures must vary according to the needs of the individual and should be changed f r o m time to time lest the individual become an automaton. If, for example, a man be lazy, he should discipline himself to take regular exercise and should arise at a set hour each morning, perhaps including a cold bath for good measure. If he be procrastinating, he will find it of value to be meticulous in answering letters immediately or in reserving certain inviolable hours in the day for the performance of his several duties. If he finds himself dissipating his time and energy in a multitude of interests, he should discipline himself in concentration, learning the art of saying " N o " upon occasion and selecting a few projects f r o m among the many at which he will labor diligently until they are accomplished. Discipline in spiritual matters is of equal importance. Indeed, it is often the lack of discipline which accounts for deficiencies in spiritual

For the

Individual

71

appreciation and growth. H e r e again the measures adopted must be adapted to individual needs. A minimum code, however, would seem to be: Prayer. T o spend at least minutes each day in prayer, meditation, and devotional reading of the Bible. Study. T o spend at least of religious subjects. Fellowship.

hours a week in the study

T o join a local group organized for Christian

fellowship and to attend its meetings. Charity. T o will to meet all people in the spirit of Jesus, and to speak the t r u t h in love. Service. T o take an active part in promoting one or more of the social objectives of the Christian religion. Stewardship. T o regard all one's possessions as held in trust for G o d ' s service, and to budget expenditures accordingly. 7

A second habit most worthy of cultivation is that of thinking noble thoughts. Again, psychology teaches that actions have their inception in the mind. T h i s is no newly discovered truth. Jesus was expressing exactly the same idea when he said, "Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man." 8 St. Paul also 7 T h e s e rules of life w e r e f o r m u l a t e d by a group of clergymen and laymen called " T h e Relations" and h a v e been found most practical. «Matthew 15:11.

72

Creative Christian

Living

proved himself to be a profound psychologist when he wrote, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report . . . think on these things."9 T o form the habit, therefore, of thinking on these things, of feeding one's mind continually upon the good, is rich in lifegiving value. To do the opposite is naturally to produce the opposite result. To permit one's mind habitually to dwell upon the sordid and impure and ugly sides of life is to sow the seeds of evil fruits which will ultimately be reaped. Pope's Essay on Man again tells the story well: Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face W e first endure, then pity, then embrace.

In other words, little moral progress can be made if one is constantly looking upon and thinking about that which is evil. Many are in the habit of doing just this, sometimes even those who have traveled far along life's moral highway. To make the situation vivid, imagine the dividing line between the right and the wrong to be a fence. e

Philippian9 4:8.

For the

Individual

73

Various people, when considering some specific moral question, place this moral fence at different points—absolute abstinence, minor indulgence, major indulgence, wholesale indulgence. N o matter where the fence is placed, however, the individual concerned keeps looking in its direction, towards the evil, wondering, perhaps, how close he may come to it without trespassing on forbidden territory. His mistake is a simple and natural one. T o correct this mistake he needs only to right about face so that he may keep his eyes focused on the good. If he does this, he will in time find himself moving towards that good. This is a simple interpretation of the meaning of conversion—a turning around, as the Latin root implies. To keep one's eyes turned constantly in the direction of the good, to cultivate this habit of thinking noble thoughts, is again no easy matter. For one thing, goodness does not always seem attractive, often lacking the glowing colors which bedeck its opposite and which are so appealing to the eye. As Thornton Wilder has said, "Of all the forms of growth, goodness has the longest awkward stage!"—and anything or anybody in the awkward stage is likely to appear ridiculous and uninteresting. The saying "Be good and you'll be lonesome" certainly does not present a very enticing prospect,

74

Creative

Christian

Living

mental or otherwise. Again, however hard one may try, one is not always able to keep unworthy thoughts or suggestions from his mind. A t the same time, it can be remembered that " T h e human mind is like a camera film. A f t e r exposure to an impure thought or suggestion it is possible to do one of two things: either to delay and develop the plate which fixes the picture permanently or instantly to flood the plate with the light of Jesus —then the picture is forever destroyed. This latter is what is meant by putting on Jesus." 1 0 Closely akin to this habit of thinking noble thoughts is that of forming wholesome associations. It is of enormous help in one's moral ascent to surround oneself with circumstances which reenforce the right motives, assiduously to put oneself in association with those who encourage the high way which he seeks to follow. T h e companionship of fine friends of both sexes, for example, exerts a profound influence for good because when one is in the presence of nobility he feels instinctively that noblesse oblige. T r u l y a man may generally be judged by his friends. In this connection, a young man will be wise indeed if he also cultivates the friendship of older 10 Henry B. W r i g h t , The Will of God and a Man's New York, Association Press, 1909, p. 186.

Life

Work,

For the

Individual

IS

persons whom he recognizes to be experts in the art of living, those who inspire confidence and demand respect. F r o m this number he will often select one who will be his special confidant or "father confessor," going to h i m f r o m time to time, and especially when the battle of life becomes too furious, knowing that in h i m he will find a good listener and a wise counsellor. Especially will he put himself in touch with life's Supreme Expert, the one whom a very large part of the world admits lived the most perfect life of which there is record. Another aspect of this habit of wholesome associations is membership in a fellowship in which all are seeking the same moral ends. In the final analysis, the suggested rule of life that one join a local group organized for Christian fellowship and attend its meetings is not an option but a necessity. I realize that the C h u r c h is often the butt of ridicule, that cant and hypocrisy sometimes sit bolt u p r i g h t in the pews, as a result of which some pass it by. Despite these facts, however, it occupies a place of primary importance in the life of society and is doing more than any other organization to promote a high quality of creative living. Therefore, even though a man cannot give the C h u r c h blanket endorsement, let him join, and

76

Creative

Christian

Living

thereby expose himself to that which is generous, noble, and faith-provoking. Let him enter and work for its betterment from within. H e will be, even at long last, the beneficiary. Still another kindred habit is that of worthy interests and activities. Sir Wilfred Grenfell stressed the importance of building up this habit when he wrote, "Intentions must find occupation or wither; emotions must find outlet or burst. Work is the only salvation of that which is good in man." Now, as in the days of Sir Isaac Watts, "Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do." It is for this reason that a balanced interest in athletics and other extra-curricular activities, the development of hobbies and avocations, the companionship of good books and good music and good plays, a healthy participation in social festivities, and many other interests and activities have transformed more lives than all the rescue missions on the Bowery in N e w York. Man must form the habit of keeping busy, that is the long and short of it. And the things at which he is to keep busy must be carefully selected, for a man may again be judged by the things he likes and by the ways in which he spends his time. Finally, there is the habit of keeping a sense of humor. This will carry a man over seemingly

For the

Individual

77

insurmountable hurdles. H e dare not take himself or others too seriously. T h i s , of course, is not to advocate that he regard life lightly. I t simply means that certain things must roll off like water from a duck's back, that the ridiculous aspects of many of life's situations must not be lost sight of. T H E EXPULSIVE POWER OF A NEW AFFECTION

M a n knows f r o m experience, however, that will power alone, even when it directs its energies into the channels of habitual action, is not entirely dependable. I t cannot be regarded as the heir apparent to the throne, destined to rule as absolute sovereign over the moral state. N o man alive has not at some time seen it snap under the strain, has not seen impulses, obsessions, fears cause it to crack. H o w e v e r strong the will may be, the " W o n ' t " is often weak. T r y as he may, man's will does not always succeed in becoming the master of his fate, the captain of his soul. H e realizes all too well that St. P a u l was speaking for him when he cried in agonizing desperation: " T h e good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do . . . Ο wretched man that I a m ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"11 " R o m a n s 7:19, 24.

78

Creative

Christian

Living

The answer follows immediately after this despairing cry: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." As has been said, Christ makes the difference. Creative Christian living is an impossibility apart from the Christian religion. The Christian ethic is meaningless apart from the Christian revelation. Many people, when such a statement is made, put on a pious face and look stupid or turn their backs and walk away. To act in this manner is either to reveal one's ignorance or again to endeavor to swim against the current of history. The indisputable verdict of human experience is that Jesus Christ is the only one who knows how to run the Christian religion. Indeed, he came not to bring a religion but to be Religion. Down through the centuries men have looked upon him and said, "That man is different." However much they have nibbled away at certain incidents in his life, they have unanimously acclaimed this Fact. For two thousand years he has spoken with authority to those who have had ears to hear. And his echoing words have always been: "Ye shall have power." How does this work out in practice? W h a t is the nature of the power he promises?

For the Enamored

79

Individual of a High

Ideal

F i r s t , w h e n a m a n looks C h r i s t ' s way, h e becomes e n a m o r e d of a h i g h ideal and a m o r a l b e a u t y such as he has n e v e r seen b e f o r e . T o be so obsessed has v e r y definite effects u p o n h i m . M a n ' s consciousness or awareness of w r o n g w i l l a l w a y s v a r y w i t h the q u a l i t y of his ideals, w i l l always be aroused by his awareness of t h e good. T h e r e f o r e , w h e n t h a t vigorous p e r s o n a l i t y w h o m m i l l i o n s have a d j u d g e d to be c o m p l e t e l y and u n i q u e l y alive stands o u t in bold relief b e f o r e his eyes, h e becomes dissatisfied, even disgusted, w i t h t h e q u a l i t y of his own life. H e begins to " h u n g e r and thirst a f t e r righteousness" as never b e f o r e , and h e sees t h a t no p r i c e is too g r e a t to pay. T o be so e n a m o r e d is in itself p o w e r . The Practice

of the Presence

of God

A n d second, h e comes to k n o w t h a t h e w i l l f a l l f a r short of this l o o m i n g ideal unless h e c o o p e r a t e s w i t h G o d in p r a y e r and c o m m u n i o n . T o some this will a g a i n sound p i o u s l y and s e n t i m e n t a l l y p l a t i tudinous, c a l l i n g f o r a face m u c h l o n g e r than G o d i n t e n d e d it to be. T o others it w i l l call u p visions of a p a r r o t w i t h i n a cage, r e p e a t i n g silly stock p h r a s e s l e a r n e d by rote. Still others w i l l t h i n k

80

Creative

Christian

Living

that this is to advocate giving oneself a good fight-talk before facing the trials and vicissitudes of life. T o take such attitudes is again to reveal ignorance or to contradict the verdict of history. T h e art of the practice of the presence of God was the secret of Christ's life and power, and it must be the secret of ours. "Study and thinking can reveal, even to a scientifically-minded student, what is apparent in every age of history—that men of action have been men of prayer, that the great do-ers are great pray-ers . . . Prayer has been the first interest, the hardest work, and the greatest joy of every man and woman who has had the reserve we are looking for . . . T h e Bishop of St. Albans said that there ought to be a stained-glass window in every church to the inventor of loose-leaf notebooks, because the loose-leaf notebook is the greatest help to prayer developed in the twentieth century—which is only another way of saying that all invention, all skill, all thinking should go into the work and privilege of praying." 12 These words sound the keynote of creative Christian living. There is nothing man knows so little about and nothing he needs to know so much about as the potency and the power of prayer! 1 2 C. Leslie Glenn, The T h e Pilgrim Press, 1932.

Church

and

Youth

(pamphlet),

Boston,

For the

Individual

81

P r a y e r cannot be described. N o one can explain w h a t happens when he prays sincerely and intelligently. It is a miracle which defies human description. But its mysterious, miraculous nature is not just cause f o r disregarding it. T h e apparently simple process of eating one's food is also a miracle. W h a t happens, f o r example, when one eats roast beef? This, too, defies description. A l l one can say is that by a series of mysterious processes the roast beef becomes T o m and Dick and H a r r y and that T o m and Dick and H a r r y do not become the ox. One's inability to explain this process, however, does not keep him away f r o m the table. H e knows that life itself is dependent upon this nourishment. In like manner, the moral and spiritual life is dependent upon prayer. T h e processes which take place are incidental. It is a fact that when man prays and keeps praying, he comes in some miraculous fashion into the presence of Jesus Christ and goes forth with renewed strength and heightened aspirations, fired with the p o w e r of Christ's dynamic personality. This experience is just as real as, and f a r more potent than, the experience of the commanders of Napoleon's army w h o were accustomed before every important battle to enter their leader's tent alone, to grasp his hand in silence, and to go forth

82

Creative

Christian

Living

with new courage and new hope and fired with a new willingness to die for France. 1 3 W h e n we say that God is good and that goodness is Christlike, and when we resolve to live our lives as if this were true, we have found the North Star of the moral universe. H o w be moral? Hitch our wagon to this star and keep it there. H o w be moral? Learn personally to practice the presence of God. M o r a l strength and victory are forthcoming only when man moves heaven and earth, in patience and by discipline, to make prayer his first interest, his hardest work, and his greatest joy. I t provides the only dynamic sufficient unto his tasks. T h e only power capable of transforming moral pigmies into moral giants is the expulsive power of this new affection. 13

F o r further elaboration, cf. p. 147ff.

III CREATIVE LIVING FOR

SOCIETY

WE turn now to the application of the Christian Fact to our chaotic twentieth-century society. W i t h o u t this application the thread of the story of creative Christian living breaks; without it the plot is rendered unintelligible. T H E SOCIAL E T H I C INESCAPABLE

I have said that the personal ethic and the social ethic must be co-partners in the business of life. Theoretically, this is generally admitted. Practically, however, the world is seen to be a Reno for bills of divorcement between the two. Therefore, it becomes necessary to examine in more detail the why and wherefore of this inescapable social ethic. Man's

Social

Inheritance

First, a man's personal moral development is dwarfed and handicapped if the social environment into which he is born and which is his by inheritance is not conducive to moral ends. T h i s does not mean that man is completely plastic in the hands of his environment. On occasion he can

84

Creative

Christian

Living

and does rise above and overcome it. It does mean, however, that his surroundings do make a profound impression upon him both before and after his conscious moral life begins, especially during his early impressionable years. It does mean that much of the evil in the individual life has its beginnings outside of and beyond the control of the individual. In various and sundry ways man does soak in the social medium in which he finds himself until it permeates his entire being. T o illustrate, if one's formative years are spent in the company of evil wills, bad tempers, selfishnesses, thievery or riotous living, he w i l l almost invariably find them woven into the pattern of his life. T h i s is because imitation is such a potent factor in the moulding of character and conduct. But these traits which are to be found in superabundance do not exhaust man's social inheritance. H e is also the inheritor of a social system w h i c h is in many respects pernicious—insidious social customs, industrial conditions which injure health and defeat life, business ethics with the ethics deleted, racial and national prejudices devoid of the spirit of brotherhood, and all the other social evils seen on the modern skyline. These, too, color his life and character, be it consciously or subconsciously. But even this is not the worst of it. T h e individual

For

85

Society

today must come into unavoidable contact with unqualifiedly evil institutions, sin organized and thus strengthened as never before in history—gangs and rings of every description, dives, illegal trades, tabloid newspapers, and political cliques. These likewise impede individual moral progress. Obviously, the individual can never hope to be uncompromisingly true to the implications of his personal ethic unless the social medium is made conducive to moral ends. Man's social inheritance demands a social ethic. Service to humanity is imposed upon him. It has been said that this is the rent which he pays for his room on earth. H e may, to be sure, avoid the rent collector if he wishes; but if he does, he and his world-brothers will ultimately be thrown out into the street. Man's Dependence

upon

Others

Second, while it is true that the individual is the life-giving cell of the organism called society, it is also true that the life of this individual cell is dependent upon the life and health of the entire organism. An infection at one extremity of the body will soon be carried by the blood-stream to infect the opposite extremity unless it receives immediate medicinal treatment. In other words, man has risen above the unicellular amoeba stage

86

Creative

Christian

Living

in the evolutionary process. H e can no longer be content to "flow out of himself into h i m s e l f " in his own little w o r l d . H i s health and w e l l - b e i n g are dependent upon the health and w e l l - b e i n g of others. M e n e v e r y w h e r e are m u t u a l l y dependent. Such an observation is not as trite and obvious as it m i g h t at first a p p e a r to be. Consider, for example, the inflated boast of m a n y that they are self-made men, that they h a v e a r r i v e d at the p e a k of success solely by their own efforts. T h e y r e a l l y believe this if their interest in the social w e l f a r e of others is any indication. But so to boast is 99 44/100 p u r e ignorance and u n a d u l t e r a t e d impudence. R e g a r d l e s s of w h a t a man's sense of responsibility for the existing conditions of society m a y be, he is none the less affected v e r y personally by what goes on both at the neighborhood store and at the ends of the w o r l d . H e wins nothing by his own m i g h t and he possesses nothing in his own right. T h o u g h the figures of his income-tax return run off the sheet and though his bank balance if w i t h d r a w n w o u l d ruin the bank, his w e a l t h of possessions represents the toil of other hands more than his own. Food, raiment, necessities, luxuries, liberties, traditions, advantages, even the right to l i f e i t s e l f — a l l these are, in one sense, handed to h i m on a silver platter, the product of the sweat of

For

Society

87

a million brows. Consequently he cannot live independently in glorious isolation, however much he might like to do so. If anyone disbelieves this, let him study any general strike and he will quickly learn how dependent he is upon the fact that everyone gets out of bed in the morning. T h e ends of the world are very literally at the end of every country lane and city street. This is especially true in this twentieth century. It is now possible to fire a shot which will literally be heard round the world. Barriers to communication and transportation have been annihilated. Men are living and dying, laughing and crying, working, sleeping, and loafing in the same backyard. T h e success of oil companies is partially dependent upon the effectiveness with which their agents, seeking to create new markets, distribute oil lamps free of charge to the natives in Africa. A Brazilian's life is saved by a doctor in Spain listening with ear-phones to the amplified heartbeats of the dying man and thus diagnosing the malady and wiring back a prescription. Textile mills in N e w England fail because their market in N o r t h China dwindles, and the market in N o r t h China dwindles because the dictators of fashion in Paris, by telling the women of Europe and America to bob their hair, lessen the demand

88

Creative

Christian

Living

for the hairnets manufactured by these Chinese laborers. Because of men's mutual dependence, therefore, a social ethic is again demanded. M e n and nations must sign a "Declaration of Interdependence" if they wish to progress towards a fuller life. Especially does this become a necessity when man realizes that many recent social developments, like his own personal instincts and emotions, are in a state awaiting moralization. T h e y may bring life to him and to millions of others, or they may lead to another world war which will probably blot him out with the rest of the human race. The Christian

View

T h i r d , the Christian view of life assumes a social ethic of tremendous proportions. It takes two to make one Christian. It would be an impossibility to be wholly Christian if one were a castaway on a desert island. In other words, no purely personal religious experience can be a substitute for carrying out the will of God in the world of men. If a man follows Christ, it means that of necessity he becomes a member of a fellowship, a bona fide citizen of a Kingdom which embraces the entire world. T h i s is not to say that all who profess Christianity appreciate these basic and vital demands.

For

Society

89

A l l too frequently the opposite is true, their personal ethic existing in vacuo, their personal religious experience having no carry-over into the social realm. Instance upon instance of vacuous personal religion come to mind. On the one hand, for example, religion is not altogether free from an extreme monastic emphasis. Repeatedly it flings its gates wide in welcome to those w h o seek escape from the responsibilities and burdens of the world, who wish retreat from the trials and tribulations of life. It harbors those w h o are obsessed above all else with the desire to save their own souls regardless of what happens to their neighbors. Even Pilgrim's Progress might be criticized as being too individualistic, as overly concerned with selfish soul-saving. Again, religion is a haven for those spiritual hedonists who think of nothing but the personal exultation and joy which worship and religious experiences bring. Many come to have what might be called an emotional fixation upon God and will not deign to associate with anyone else or stoop to conquer an evil world, so completely are they preoccupied with God. 1 } T h e opposite of monasticism is humanitarianism which permits pre-oocupation with one's neighbor. Neither extreme is Christian. " T h o u shalt love the Lord thy God . . . and thy neighbor as thyself."

90

Creative

Christian

Living

On the other hand, there are those who are free from such monastic emphases but who see no connection between their personal religion and many of their social relationships. There is the country storekeeper who calls out to his son to put sand in the brown sugar and water in the milk and to come in to family prayers. There is the puritanical M r . Barrett of Wimpole Street crushing out the lives of his children in his attempt to instill into them the Christian faith. There is the woman of high moral standing who weeps copious tears in her box at the opera while her coachman is slowly freezing to death on the box of her carriage. There are those bank presidents and mill owners, respected in their communities as noble citizens and praised for their generous contributions to the church, who sell out their clients to feather their nests or who permit their employees to live in filth and semi-starvation for want of a bare subsistence wage. There are those in high authority in the church who stand by complacently while the Jews are mercilessly persecuted and discriminated against in Germany. There is the story of the pious slave-trader who descended horrifiedly upon a group of his sailors gambling with dice on the deck on Sunday and who threatened to make any man walk the plank who again desecrated

For

Society

91

G o d ' s Sabbath. A n d there is S i r J o h n B o w r i n g w h o w r o t e " I n the Cross of C h r i s t I G l o r y " at the v e r y time that he w a s e n g a g e d in the iniquitous o p i u m w a r f o u g h t by the British in C h i n a . S o m e m i g h t a r g u e that the reason such contradictions and inconsistencies exist is because somet h i n g is w r o n g w i t h the i n d i v i d u a l ' s a p p r e c i a t i o n of the personal ethic. I f a person is r e a l l y " r i g h t w i t h G o d , " they say, the social ethic w i l l take care of itself. T h i s is true. B u t it is just another w a y of s a y i n g that one cannot be right w i t h G o d unless he is also right w i t h his n e i g h b o r and is concerned about and w o r k i n g f o r his w e l f a r e . Consequently, countless hours at p r a y e r and B i b l e study, an u n b r o k e n record of attendance at c h u r c h , and all the other forms of spiritual exercise w i l l not in and of themselves b r i n g about a w e l l - r o u n d e d m o r a l life. T h e C h r i s t i a n v i e w of l i f e sees m o r a l ity as a two-edged sword w h i c h touches l i f e at e v e r y point. Its F o u n d e r issued a t w o - f o l d c o m m a n d — l o v e G o d and love y o u r n e i g h b o r . T h e one w i t h o u t the other is positively unchristian. D r . E u g e n e W i l l i a m L y m a n s u m m a r i z e s f o r us w h e n he says that the supreme p r i n c i p l e of ethics m a y be expressed as b e i n g " t h e f u l l e s t d e v e l o p ment of every h u m a n personality t h r o u g h the c o o p e r a t i v e creation of a w o r l d - w i d e c o m m u n i t y

92

Creative Christian

Living

of persons. In this principle are involved several constituents, each of which is indispensable. T h e y a r e : the unique worth of each person and the corresponding worth of a community of persons; the significance of growth; the conditioning of growth on the creative action of all the individuals concerned; and the conditioning of individual creativity on the community and cooperation. A neglect of any one of these constituents will lead to some of the well-known lopsidednesses in ethics— sheer individualism, or state socialism, or relativism, or freedom without love, or love without freedom. But taken together they form a harmonious principle which is fundamental for the guidance of ethical thought and action." 2 U N D E R L Y I N G P R I N C I P L E S OF T H E S O C I A L E T H I C

Since man must be his brother's keeper, he must next ask himself the question, " H o w am I going to keep him?" H e cannot enter into the application of the social ethic lightly or unadvisedly. M a n y people think mere enthusiasm is sufficient. T h e y are not thinking through the implications of the social ethic or counting the cost. This is 2 The Meaning and Truth of Scribner's Sons, 1933, pp. 85-86.

Religion,

New

York,

Charles

For

93

Society

especially true of many college students. T o illustrate, a Harvard student once wrote a letter to a friend. It read: " I want to make myself useful in the world, to make others happy, to help advance the condition of Society, and hasten the preparation of the millennium, as well as other things too numerous to mention." 3 A large order to say the least! Of course such an enthusiastic spirit of altruism is most commendable. Such worthy ambitions, however, will be of but little avail if they dance to the strains of the popular song, " I don't know where I ' m going but I'm on my way." Before any creative social ethic can be evolved or applied, one must set for himself a clear and masterful objective and decide upon the underlying principles which are to guide him in the attainment thereof. H e cannot permit these primary considerations to be numbered among the "other things too numerous to mention." Centrality

of Personal

Religious

Experience

First, personal religious experience in all its ramifications must remain central if the fruits of the social ethic are not to be comparatively a W . Russell Bowie, On Being Alive, Sons, 1931, p. 57.

New York, Charles Scribner's

94

Creative

Christian

Living

meager. As has just been seen, it is true that the personal ethic is futile if it does not reach out and serve society; but it is even more true that society cannot be properly served if personal religious experiences are eclipsed or lacking. As I say this, I am aware that much has already been said in this regard. Nevertheless, it seems necessary, even at the risk of repetition, to elaborate still further the centrality of personal religious experience because of the tremendous difficulty which many are experiencing today when they endeavor to work their way through to a practical and actual synthesis between these two emphases. The social ethic is obviously coming into its own. That this is true is cause for great rejoicing. But it is also a danger by reason of the fact that its advocates, prompted by a violent reaction against self-centered and self-saving expressions of personal religion, stand in grave peril of substituting one lopsidedness for another. Some "social gospellers" profess no interest in, or even laugh to scorn, personal religious experience. Others of the second and third and fourth generations are beginning to lose the priceless ingredient which prompted their forbears to take seriously the social implications of Christianity. T o be sure, they are rendering yeoman service in the relief of unbeliev-

For

Society

95

ably bad social conditions by thus permitting the pendulum of morality to swing to the social extreme. These contributions cannot be denied or belittled. T h u s to substitute this new lopsidedness for the old, however, is in many instances subject to two criticisms. In the first place, one's personal moral deficiencies are often lost in the shuffle of social evils, in which case the life of the individual concerned remains of the inferior quality already examined in the second chapter. 4 In the second place, anyone who seeks to cope with the social evils which confront the world without an appreciation of the dynamic which the Christian religion provides will be a comparatively impotent agent for social reform. Christ would never have dared to set up such a high ideal for human society had he not known of a power which alone is capable of overcoming the world. In the area of social service especially, because of the odds which one faces, is a sole dependence upon man power fatal. All too frequently such humanistic reliance is a through route to despair. I recall, for instance, a young college student who 4 It must be admitted, of course, that some do come to an appreciation of personal religion through the medium of social service, that some are driven to prayer when they face human needs. It must also be admitted, however, that this appreciation does not inevitably follow, for one becomes caught in the grip of immediate tasks and has no time for other things.

96

Creative

Christian

Living

went to work in the slums of New York. After six months of seeing the pathetic hideousness and staggering immensity of the problems of life on the East Side, he became oppressed with a sense of futility and set sail to selfish business on foreign shores. Such an experience is not uncommon. Many break down in this way because they lack the aforementioned internal dynamic which drives one forward despite all handicaps and difficulties. This breakdown is due, not to overwork but to lack of overflow. T h e simple fact is that only a magician can pour anything out of an empty pitcher. T h e sooner we appreciate this, the better. All lopsidedness may very easily be done away. T h e simple secret is to keep the pendulum constantly in motion so that it embraces both extremes. Only thus will the hands of the world's moral progress move. Whatever may be the implications of his social gospel, Christ is Lord over it. His cause issued in victory, even at the price of a cross, because he was first a revealer of God rather than the leader of an economic or social crusade. Therefore, if one hopes, over the period of a lifetime, to help cure the ills of a sick world, one cannot be a sociologist before he is a Christian. Personal religious experience must remain central.

For Sympathy

and

Society

97

Understanding

Second, a spirit of sympathy and understanding must always prevail. Blame and criticism are the expedients of impotence; sympathy and understanding are the expressions of power. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for the latter to degenerate into the former. T h e idealism of anyone who has a passion for social justice and righteousness is peculiarly susceptible to such a relapse into carping criticism and heated diatribes, not only against those who have been the victims of an unfortunate environment but also and even more especially against the individuals or classes responsible for social wrongs. T o indulge in these is to invite stubborn defensive tactics or to undercut one's effectiveness. Both results defeat the desired ends. Blame and carping criticism are likewise out of order and unjustifiable as regards one's attitude towards the institutions and customs which obviously need refashioning. T h e r e are times, for example, when social evil also is but the discarded good of yesterday. Consider slavery. A t one time in the history of civilization, this institution was praiseworthy, a decided step in advance of the earlier custom of m u r d e r i n g off the captives of war. But as civilization progressed, this former

98

Creative

Christian

Living

good came to be regarded as an evil until now it is very properly forbidden in every civilized country. Again, racial pugnacity once served a worthy purpose, namely, the development of the race morally as well as physically, producing courage which even today remains one of the greatest virtues, a racial disposition accepted as noble. W h e n war is viewed in this light, the ardent pacifist is making a great mistake and is thereby injuring his cause when he condemns the attitude and belittles the sacrifice of those w h o in the past poured out their life's blood for their country. Rather should he sympathize with them and pay them his tribute, all the while realizing that the world has now progressed to the point where it becomes imperative, if the human race is not to be destroyed and if the Christian conception of the brotherhood of man is to become a reality, that all unite in a combined effort to outlaw war. One's spirit of approach in social reform, then, is of vital importance, often making the difference between success and failure. A New

Reverence

for Human

Life

Third, the social ethic will be shallow—indeed, its problems will be multiplied or its own ends

For

Society

99

defeated—if it be not motivated from start to finish by a new reverence for human life, a vivid vision of what life for each and all may become. It is not enough to minister to and relieve the physical needs of the destitute. T o maintain bread lines and hand out doles is important and necessary in emergencies, but this is only to give a sedative to ease the pain. Such an attitude of patronage tends to pauperize, to destroy self-respect and initiative. N o r is it even enough so to alter social conditions that everyone will have equal opportunity to earn the wherewithal to provide for himself and his dependents. Even this is to leave social problems of a much more intimate nature unsolved. A familiar story comes to mind. Late one night a clergyman was called to a fifth-floor tenement. H e arrived to find a doctor giving artificial respiration to a man w h o had just attempted to commit suicide by inhaling gas. A t last the doctor's efforts were successful and the man opened his eyes, only to shudder in agony when he realized that he had failed in his attempt to put an end to his bitter existence. T h e doctor arose, went to the door, turned and said to the minister, "Where I leave off, you begin." M u c h social service leaves off when it is on the threshold of an unparalled opportunity, thus leav-

100

Creative

Christian

Living

ing a g a p i n g wound to be healed, an empty void to be filled. In the final analysis, the social ethic is a comparative failure unless it gives men new zest for living and a new philosophy by which to live. Dr. Channing writes to this point in no uncertain terms: " I have felt and continually insisted that a new reverence for man was essential to the cause of social reform. T h e r e can be no spirit of brotherhood, nor true peace, any farther than men come to understand their affinity with and relation to God and the infinite purposes for which he gave them life." 5 The Scope

of the Social

Ethic

And fourth, in the light of this new reverence for human life and all that it implies, the scope of the social ethic must be enlarged. T h e application of the social ethic is not limited to mass-production efforts, to uplifting crowds, to bettering institutions, and to transforming customs. These measures are very productive but not wholly adequate. Such a conception of the social ethic is, to use a seemingly contradictory term, too narrow. Any well-rounded application of the social ethic in6 Quoted by Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral Society, New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933, p. 59: See also Albert Schweitzer, Out of My Life and Thought, New York, Henry Holt ic Co., 1933, pp. 185-190, 260-279.

For

Society

101

eludes the one as well as the one thousand or one million. In other words, there is a social ethic to be applied wherever two or three are gathered together. N o one can see another in want or going merrily to the devil, whatever be the needy one's status in society, and assume a "Hands-off, it's-hisbusiness" attitude. Such individualized social efforts bear much fruit, especially when the man next door is regarded as a human personality rather than a "case." T h e y not only bring new life to the person in need but also help immeasurably to insure the success of the larger social project. Any great cause must be won by adding individual supporters to it one by one—and it takes surprisingly few to spell success! Professor Einstein appreciated this when he said that war would become impossible if two per cent, of the population were to become conscientious objectors. Moreover, the larger social project can be better understood when it is thus personified in the individual. " W h a t is the life of the world but the life of the individual writ large? W h a t are illustrations of individual human need but parables of our corporate l i f e ? " 6 e H. P. VanDusen, In Quest of Life's tion Press, 1926, p. 105.

Meaning,

New York, Associa-

102

Creative

Christian

Living

In substance, then, it must constantly be borne in mind that no social program will greatly help the world unless individual lives are freed from selfishness and fear, unless individual men and women dedicate themselves to the cause of goodness and come to possess an internal power which alone will make them sufficient to solve their problems and restore the peace and happiness of mankind. T H E APPLICATION OF T H E SOCIAL ETHIC

W e turn now to the intricate question of the application of the social ethic on the basis of these four underlying principles. W h a t does social morality involve? T h i s question is vast indeed, and treatment of it here must of necessity be cursory, suggestive rather than exhaustive. Individual

Needs

First, what about the needs of the individuals next door, to which everyone who takes seriously the social implications of Christianity must minister? It would be mere repetition to tabulate these needs inasmuch as we have already examined them in ourselves and we may assume that they are much the same in others. It is important,

For

Society

103

however, to see how one may become sensitive to them and how he may best relieve them. If one is to become sensitive to individual human needs, to know enough to help or to care enough to help, one must possess "a seeing eye," projecting oneself into the place of others. Even to live by the Golden Rule alone implies this, though this most intimate suggestion is often missed: " D o unto others as you would that they should do unto you if you were in their place." M a n y who have become most skillful in this art of seeing and projecting themselves into the lives and experiences of others prostitute their art. Some, for example, know all there is to know about people because it is their business, and commercialization their objective. Others, because they are suffering f r o m an inferiority complex, are keenly observant of others and take especial pains to glean every bit of intimate information about them they can—and particularly about those who occupy the positions which they covet—so that they may have a goodly supply of ammunition with which to assault their reputations and accomplishments, and thereby glorify themselves. In this group are found the corporal who used to be a sergeant, the wallflower who wants to be the

104

Creative

Christian

Living

belle of the ball, the drab and colorless student who longs to be a big man on the campus. Fortunately, however, there are many who have what Thornton W i l d e r calls "Curiosity Love." T h e i r s is the overwhelming desire to know people through and through in order that they may minister to their deepest needs. I t is this quality which needs most to be cultivated. W h e n a man is motivated by it, the scope of his knowledge of human nature, the sensitiveness of his sympathies, and the range of his influence, become enormously enhanced. "Curiosity Love," of course, does not flower into being spontaneously. I t is bought at a tremendous price. And part of the price demanded is that one take time to educate himself in the workings and reactions of human personality. In other words, at least a rule-of-thumb knowledge of psychology, both normal and abnormal, is essential. Such a study enables him to diagnose correctly the moral maladies with which others are afflicted and to minister to the subtle and rudimentary as well as to the obvious and superficial needs of men—fear, loneliness, inferiority, maladjustment, sense of failure. Indeed, the obvious moral ills which he sometimes labors so strenuously to cure are often merely symptoms of deeper and more fundamen-

For

Society

105

tal troubles. Drinking, for example, is more often a symptom of a life which is dissatisfied, dull, or maladjusted than an evil in itself. T o recognize these deeper and more fundamental deficiencies, especially when they are in their infant stages, and, if one is not able to cope successfully with them himself, to bring them to the attention of an expert, is to perform a Christian service of enormous proportions. Many a suicide, for instance, has been averted in just this way—because someone saw beneath the surface and cared enough to help another overthrow a sense of inferiority and failure or a feeling of abject loneliness. As one endeavors after diagnosis to treat moral maladies and to bring a fuller life to those about him, he will do well to remember several things. First, patience is a fundamental prerequisite. In no area of human experience is the adage " H a s t e makes waste" more applicable. One can never hope to succeed in his worthy aims unless a relationship of friendly confidence has first been established and unless he recognizes the diversity of human personality which forbids him to approach everyone in the same stereotyped way. Moreover, he is doomed to disappointment if he allows himself always to expect immediate results or instant transformations.

106

Creative Christian

Living

Second, one must on occasion be w i l l i n g to modify his personal conduct for the good of those w h o m he would, influence. T h i s is not to urge that he compromise his personal convictions. Rather is it to follow the example of St. Paul who said that if eating meat caused his brother to stumble, he would eat no meat. In more modern language, this means that one should refrain from certain indulgences, even though they may not be morally wrong for him, if such indulgences will weaken the moral fibre of or be injurious to the man next door. T h i s is not to compromise one's convictions but rather to love one's neighbor as oneself. Third, one cannot pick and choose those to w h o m he is to show forth a Christian spirit. T o discriminate in this way is a very real, though sometimes an unconscious, temptation to many who are prompted by the most worthy Christian motives. Some, for example, are most considerate of those of their own social strata but do not hesitate to adopt a most unchristian attitude towards traffic cops and pullman porters, waiters and employees. Others limit their altruistic attentions to those who are attractive and likable, and totally disregard those who are repulsive and unpopular. T h i s is the story of the young theologue or college student who picks out the most popular debutante

For

Society

107

on the dance floor for long heart-to-heart talks about the things most worthwhile in l i f e ! But whatever be the nature of such discrimination, it indicates a lack of complete consecration in the individual who seeks to serve. Obviously the social ethic cannot be honestly applied on this basis. T h e true Christian knows that all men stand equal in the eyes of the law and the Lord, regardless of position or pulchritude. Consequently, he wills to meet everyone in the spirit of Jesus—truly an admirable rule of life. Finally, one must be willing upon occasion to become humbly articulate about moral and spiritual realities. Some find this most difficult to do, feeling that religion is too sacred and personal a matter to be talked about freely or that they themselves see so imperfectly that they have nothing to contribute to anyone else. T h e y prefer instead to live the life. Of course it is absolutely essential to live the life. Moreover, none would dispute the fact that religion is caught as well as taught. T o depend altogether on the power of example, however, is not always sufficient. T o do so often leaves people admiring yet puzzled as to the secret of life for them or it allows them to go on their way rejoicing, indifferent to the higher way. One's example, therefore, must be supple-

108

Creative

Christian

Living

mented by a sincere and unpretentious verbal presentation of moral and spiritual issues, even when one realizes that he himself has yet a long way to travel along the road to perfection. T h i s is not to become the obnoxious reformer, constantly asking others in sepulchral tones and with a holier-thanthou attitude if their souls are saved. I t is simply to share life's richest treasures. Corporate

Needs

N e x t , what of the corporate needs of humanity, the social customs and institutions which must be refashioned if the individual or society is to make moral progress? M a n y of these corporate evils have already been indicated, and certain suggestions have been offered for their refashioning. F o r practical purposes, however, it will be well to select several of these for more minute examination, still remembering that such examination must be cursory, suggestive rather than exhaustive. First, consider the most important factor in the social set-up—the Family. F a m i l y life should occupy a place of particular prominence in any consideration of the Christian social ethic. Such is not always the case. A l l too frequently this social institution is taken for granted. Obviously this is a grave mistake, an error against which

For

109

Society

D r . J . F . M c F a y d e n offers this word of caution: " I n Christian countries we are tempted to think that the institution of the Christian home is part of the constitution of things; that it has always been, and will always be, and that we need have no fear for it. But the Christian home is the product of Christianity; like every other institution worth having, it has been won, won by agelong experience and struggle; and what has been won can be lost." 7 A s one looks about, he wonders if this institution is being lost today. E v e n a casual observer sees that the home is oftentimes nothing more than a convenient boarding house in close proximity to the garage, a commodious place where one may hang his hat. Its atmosphere is often feverish and strained. Its manners are frequently of the variety which would not be tolerated in any business office. D i v o r c e is increasing by leaps and bounds. T o be sure matrimonial statistics have sometimes been exaggerated until it seems that no couple is h a p p i l y m a r r i e d ! Moreover, the present situation is not unparalleled in history, for it was not altogether hyperbole when Seneca spoke of noble women as reckoning their years by their successive ' Q u o t e d by K a r l Block in Our National Council, 1929, p. 12.

Common

Life,

New York,

The

110

Creative

Christian

Living

husbands rather than by consuls! T h e fact remains, however, that the results of a home survey give one serious pause, that family life today is clamoring for the intelligent application of the Christian social ethic. Because of the complexity of this social problem, only a f e w remedial suggestions can here be given. One thing stands out prominently: the first interest of the Christian ethic is not to prevent people from getting unmarried. It is to help them get married rightly and to stay married happily. Therefore, any campaign conducted along the lines of this major premise will have these planks in its platform: Adequate education for marriage, spiritually inspired and scientifically grounded. In this regard, due consideration must be given to the teachings of eugenics. Parents who are willing to give themselves as well as things to their children, who are not preoccupied, indulgent, capricious or indifferent. A moral equivalent of chores, that is, provision for sharing home responsibilities and duties. Recognition that the changed economic status of women, characterized by more frequent financial independence and more general preparation and opportunity for the pursuit of careers, calls for certain modifications of ancestral conceptions of marriage. Appreciation of the fact that marriages are not made in heaven so much as here upon earth, that a happy marital

For

Society

111

relationship is an art demanding hard work, patience, and vicarious living. Love cannot be isolated from the business of life. A psychology of permanence to replace the prevalent psychology of "We'll make a go of it if we can, but if not there is always the divorce court which will speedily free us to try again." For Christianity marriage is indissoluble. Among other things it cannot bear to see children standing for the rest of their lives in contempt of court. But, let it be noted, marriage is indissoluble only if it is based on Christian presuppositions. A pure and high conception of love, based upon spiritual realities, not overly romanticized, and demanding generosity, forbearance, and magnanimity.

Second, consider social and economic conditions. Despite the undreamed-of accomplishments of modern civilization—indeed, largely because of them—many sore spots and danger zones are to be seen in the social and economic life of the world today. Again it is impossible to tabulate all these problems in full. Among them are to be numbered: vast inequality of privilege; almost unlimited right to private profits; economic control divorced from social responsibility; manipulation of values for private ends instead of for public good; unbelievably bad housing conditions and most inadequate recreational facilities; modified feudalism; cut-throat competition which touches even the necessities of life; dehumanizing

112

Creative Christian

Living

machines; unprecedented unemployment, often technological in nature; political incapacities and wholesale graft; highly organized racketeering which chisels in on honest business and profits by illegal means; narrow nationalism and greed; racial ill-will and prejudice; wars and rumors of wars; and so on ad infinitum. As Dr. G. Stanley Hall wrote shortly before his death, "Not since the fall of the Roman Empire, or at least since the Thirty Years' War, which swept away one-third of the population of Europe, has the western world faced so many problems as at present." This is plain truth, except that the word "western" should be deleted, since social and economic troubles today are world-wide and mutually interlocking. To mention in detail all the planks which need to go into the platform of the social and economic program of reconstruction for which the world stands in want would be to build a boardwalk from Maine to Florida. This, of course, cannot be attempted here, even if all the answers were known. Some have already been suggested in the consideration of the underlying principles of the social ethic and need not be repeated. Others are perfectly obvious, for example, laboring together for the obliteration of slums or the provision of playgrounds and parks for recreational purposes.

For

Society

113

I w o u l d , however, speak further of several problems because of their immediacy and importance. T o m y mind the f o l l o w i n g planks are indispensable : Avoidance of partisan blame. Neither capital nor labor, for example, is wholly right or wholly at fault. Final authority in social and economic adjustments must rest, not solely with those representing financial interests, nor solely with the officials of labor unions, nor with special groups of any sort, but with the community as a whole—the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, the farmer, the financier, the operator, the day laborer, and all the rest. A non-defeatist attitude. Defeatists today are plentiful. Some argue, for example, that nations and groups will always have squabbles and that wars and strikes are therefore inevitable. T h i s is no argument at all. However true may be their premise, it is not to say that wars and strikes must inevitably be resorted to as means of settlement. W a r s and strikes have moral equivalents, namely, the willingness on the part of everyone concerned to put his feet under the table, be it in Geneva or W e s t Virginia. T h e r e f o r e , if man prepares for peaceful conference rather than for war or strike, peace will be forthcoming because he gets that for which he prepares. T h e r e is no need for defeatist conclusions such as those reached by D r . Reinhold Niebuhr in his excellent book Moral Man and Immoral Society, namely, t h a t while we can hold out some hope for moral man, we are more or less doomed to an immoral society. T h e evolution of conditions under which wealth will be created and distributed, not for the enrichment of the few, but for the enlargement of the life of all. An increasing proportion

114

Creative

Christian

Living

of the yield of industry must be devoted, through individual and communal channels, to purposes of common advantage. Multiply within reason, and support, organizations and machinery for effecting social reform; for example, those designed to work for peace and disarmament, for racial and international goodwill, for able government under noble and unselfish leadership, for provision to meet the problems raised by sickness, accident, unemployment, and old age. 8 T h i s does not mean that the individual be allowed to hide behind the skirts of a large, impersonal group. This is fatal! T h e individual must stand forth and bear his personal share. Any attempts to cure social ills solely by societies and mass movements in which the individual escapes responsibility lack driving power and are comparatively ineffective. International cooperation and agreement. This is imperative because the world is telling us more loudly day by day that our problems are all of one pattern, cut from one cloth. Because of this, an attitude of national self-sufficiency, a narrow isolationist policy, is socially unethical and self-defeating. An appreciation of the fact that modern civilization is, in many respects, at the crossroads, that revolutionary changes are taking and must continue to take place. T h e current depression of three years' standing is unique in the cycle of depressions. I t seems to mark a turning-point, and its correctives will be more far-reaching and radical than many at present suppose. Consequently, all reconstruction efforts must bear the earmarks of patience, creative thinking, courageous experimentation, and uncompromising consecration to Christian principles. 8 In some instances, such organizations should be consolidated so that a more united front may be presented.

For

lis

Society

An awakened church, vitally concerned about and actively laboring to apply the social ethic. In this connection it must be remembered that a delegation of authority and responsibility is imperative. T h e church is not necessarily a failure because other institutions are now doing many of the things which it formerly sponsored. Indeed, this is the church's peculiar genius—to lend initial impetus to various reforms which are later to be taken over by other bodies. None the less, the church must be reawakened to social need, thus fulfilling its primary function, which is to embody and express corporately the Christian virtues. It cannot be corporately less Christian than the individual Christian. Meanwhile, even though relief does not suffice, the destitute must be clothed and fed and sheltered. T o this end everyone must budget his income and live sacrificially.

The Technique

of the Social

Ethic

T h e technique for bringing the application of the social ethic to full fruition is m u c h the same as that already suggested for the individual. T h i s is repeated in outline by w a y of summary. Study the field, the problems, the needs, and act intelligently. You w i l l do the w o r l d little permanent good otherwise. Quick and thoughtless remedies hardly ever succeed. Cultivate a sense of proportion and of comparative needs. Y o u have done nothing if you rid the world of social snakes only to have it overrun with social mice. K n o w yourself in relation to this world and these needs.

116

Creative

Christian

Living

M a k e honest appraisal and count the cost. T h e n apply all the will power you can muster, keeping the positive rather than the negative emphasis. Endeavor to build social habits conducive to your aims, good institutions and worthy customs which will crowd out the evil ones. Discipline yourself to give generously of your time, your money, and your thought, at the same time refusing to dissipate your energies by having your finger in too many social pies. Rather select one or two social projects upon which you will concentrate until they have been mastered. A l l the while be sure to keep a sense of humor. And finally, trust not solely in man power. Neither social nor personal problems can be resolved by the same methods as those of natural science, that is, solely by induction and analysis, by the correlation of data and the observation of results. I repeat, the nerve of the Christian social ethic is essentially religious. T h e r e f o r e , you must become enamored of a high ideal and draw upon that divine power which the Founder of Christianity has promised and which effective social laborers down through the-ages have appropriated. The Social

Ethic

in the College

World

T h e application of the social ethic in the college world seems at first sight to confront a para-

For

Society

117

dox. On the one hand, college students are becoming possessed of an ever-growing social consciousness and an accompanying eagerness to throw themselves dramatically into the social fray. T h i s is indeed most encouraging. On the other hand, however, life in college seems far removed from the larger world of affairs, a mark-time world in which social ethical achievement must be postponed. T h i s apparent paradox does not really exist. T h e college student can find immediate outlet for his social enthusiasms if the social ethic is seen in its entirety. F o r one thing he is in constant intimate contact with others, with all the opportunities which these personal relationships offer. Again, if he has eyes to see, he finds in academic life the world in miniature, with the counterparts of all the social evils which have been enumerated: racial prejudice, unemployment, graft, politics, inequality of privilege, and all the rest. T h e s e call for the selfsame social virtues as the world outside, despite the fact that they are not always as dramatic. Indeed, it is well for everyone to learn that most of life is not glaringly dramatic. Only a few are privileged to play the role of the dashing hero; the majority must be content to exercise

118

Creative Christian

Living

their talent for social morality in the chorus or backstage. Moreover, there are the social problems w h i c h have been seen to be unique in college life w h i c h demand attention if higher education is to fulfil its purposes to the fullest extent. T o the correction of these the college student may bend his efforts, working in intimate and constructive cooperation with the members of the faculty and administration. Again, one can and should, during undergraduate days, study about and think through various social issues so that in the fulness of time he may make an intelligent and creative contribution. And finally, he may include participation in one or more social projects among his extra-curricular activities. Such clinical experience in boys' club or settlement work, in unemployment relief or institutional service, is highly to be recommended, not only because of the contribution which he makes to the activity concerned, but also because of the deepening and enriching personal experience which is always the by-product of such altruistic effort. In substance, then, the student need not feel that the social implications of Christianity are faraway considerations of the future. H e is given ample opportunity for immediate expression.

For

Society

119

T h e r e is ample social work at hand on and near the college campus.

T h e conquest of the world lay before Jesus— and he chose the twelve. On the mountain tops, by the lake shore, in the market places, he revealed to them day by day the wonder and the power and the glory of the Kingdom of God upon earth. H e had all types with h i m : he had doubting T h o m a s ; he had P h i l i p who always looked before he leaped; he had Peter who always leaped before he looked. But when clouds had rolled past Calvary and that most tremendous of all dramas had been enacted, those few at the foot of the Cross could not forget him. And the Cross issued in victory and the Kingdom of the brotherhood of man had its inception because these men were sent forth ablaze with the light of the presence of God, empowered with the strength of the world's most dynamic personality. Down through the generations of Christian history the story has ever been the same—and especially in centers of higher learning. W h e n that Spanish knight and cavalier, Ignatius Loyola, first learned the secret of life for all men, he went to the University of Paris, selected seven of the

120

Creative

Christian

Living

strongest men he could find, and companied with them for seven years. From that little group went forth one of the most heroic bands of Christian adventurers the world has ever known. At the University of Oxford a few men have on various occasions become concerned about the state of the world and the lives of men. Because of this concern, movements have been born there which have reinvigorated the church, transformed England, and circled the globe with the good news of "peace on earth to men of goodwill." These experiences in human history are not freaks or sports. Imagine the cataclysmic resoundings of Christ's social gospel if small groups of students in every college and university would only allow history to repeat itself today! T h e conquest of the world awaits completion. I t has been waiting long. It took the British government only twenty minutes to notify the entire Empire of a movement of hate incomparable for size and horror—and in twenty minutes there was a unanimous response! An incomparable movement of brotherhood has been waiting twenty hundred years for a similar response. One by one chivalrous men enroll under the Rider of the W h i t e Horse and go forth conquering and to conquer. T h e tasks which they confront are not easily

For

Society

121

accomplished. Yet they are not dismayed, for in their ears these words forever ring: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."® "John 16:33.

IV L I F E VERSUS

EXISTENCE

ONE of life's most nonsensical pastimes is to listen to a ventriloquist broadcasting over the radio. It is equally nonsensical, however, to spend one's time building idealistic castles in the air. " I f our ideal has no stable foothold in the real, it would be a mere foolish will-o'-the-wisp, the most unsubstantial of all illusions. It will be simply the selfpainting of the yearning spirit, having no more solidity or steadiness than floating air-bubbles, gay in the sunshine, and broken by the passing wind." 1 Consequently, this concluding chapter must endeavor to make our gleaming ideal the everlasting real. TWO

W A Y S OF

LIFE

T h e secret of creative Christian living, the recipe for transforming the ideal into the real, is to be found in the " j a z z theology" of one Woodbine Willie, one who himself lived supremely, who found life on the looming heights. " H o w do I know that God is good? I don't. I gamble like a man. I bet my life upon one side in life's great war. I must, I can't stand out. I must take sides. 1 Source

unknown.

124

Creative

Christian

Living

T h e man who is a neutral in this fight is not a man. He's bulk and body without breath, cold leg of lamb without mint sauce. A fool. H e makes me sick. Good L o r d ! Weak tea! Cold slops! I want to live, live out, not wobble through my life somehow, and then into the dark. I must have God . . . I bet my life on Christ—Christ Crucified . . . Y o u want to argue? Well, I can't. It is a choice, I choose the Christ." 2 In the final analysis, life resolves itself into an inescapable choice between two ways. This is the conclusion reached after all the arguments and rebuttals about morality and creative Christian living have been heard and forgotten. This is what Carlyle meant when he said that there is a basic decision which confronts each one of us: " W i l t thou be a hero or a coward?" T h a t the issues which are at stake may be seen more clearly, let us look reality squarely in the face to see what life has actually become for various people who have chosen various ways. A High Way and a Low J o h n Oxenham was speaking not only for poets but for the whole prose reality of the world when he wrote: 2 G . A. Studdert Kennedy, "Faith," in The Sorrows York, George H. Doran, 1924.

of God, New

Life Versus

Existence

125

T o every man there openeth A Way, and Ways, and a Way, And the High Soul climbs the High Way, And the Low Soul gropes the Low, And in between on the misty flats, The rest drift to and fro. But to every man there openeth A High Way and a Low. And every man decideth The Way his soul shall go.3

E v e n a casual glance at the world reveals this to be cold, h a r d , practical fact, not idealism but realism. I recall a night in the spring of 1928. A t about the same h o u r two men laid down their lives—one the victim of his own hand, the other the victim of a deadly disease contracted while p r e p a r i n g himself f o r the service of humanity. T h e f o r m e r had elected to travel the low way of selfish i n d u l g e n c e ; the latter had chosen the high way of generous self-giving. T h e f o r m e r h a d existed f o r a few brief years in the low d a n k m a r s h e s ; the latter had lived all his life on the heights. T h e difference between these lives was very g r e a t ! A t just this time, an imaginary epitaph, set f o r t h in two records, came into my hands. Despite the youth of these two men, these records w e r e '"Bees In Amber."

126

Creative

Christian

Living

peculiarly descriptive of their lives. T o read them is to be stabbed awake to the two ways of life which lie before us. RECORD I Here lies the body of Every M a n who' died on any day in any month of any year B.C. or A.D., aged three score years and ten. During his sojourn on this earth, what follows is to be recorded of him: H e ate 150 prize head of cattle, 225 lambs, 26 sheep, 310 swine, 2400 chickens, 26 acres of wheat, and 50 acres of the sundry fruits of the field. H e drank of sundry drinks sufficient to make a great lake; and, in warming himself and preparing his food, he used the substance of 150 great trees. Moreover, there is this further to be recorded of him: he slept for 25 years, he spent 3 years and 6 months in eating and drinking, 3 years in dressing and undressing, 2 years and 6 months in going to and from his work, 3 years and 9 months in study, and 10 years and 3 months in amusing himself. T h e remaining 22 years of his pilgrimage he worked, and thereby earned the wherewithal to do the above things. Finally he died. RECORD

II

Here lies the body of Every M a n who died on any day in any month of any year B.C. or A.D., aged three score years and ten. During his sojourn on this earth, what follows is to be recorded of him: H e early came to know a great fear and a great love. And the love was always sufficient to calm the fear.

Life Versus

Existence

127

Later on, although he quickly learned what difficulty was and disappointment and unkindness, yet the whole world was illumined by a love of life, and troubles were soon forgotten. H e had great hopes and grand ambitions. But the greatest and grandest of these were always hidden in the deeps of his own soul. H e grew up and took his place among his fellows. He was cruel sometimes, hateful sometimes, dishonest often. Often, too, he hurt those who loved him. O n the other hand, he loved deeply and truly; sacrificed himself unflinchingly; and, although no man ever saw him so doing, still is it true that, so often as he transgressed knowingly, just so often did he go out into the night and weep bitterly. H e had many friends. Yet no one ever really knew him, and more and more as he went on he realized how alone he was. And later, how good it was that this was so. He began to look on life as one who stood apart. His fellows said he was growing old. But he knew otherwise. H e was learning that age and anger and cruelty and hatefulness and eating and drinking are the things that are seen, and that hope and joy and grand ambition and the seventh heaven and unspeakable things are the things that are not seen. And, in the end, he learned that the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Finally he died. B U T H E R O S E A G A I N !

Truly, these lives were lived at different poles, and the difference between them was very great.

128

Creative Christian

Living

Downstairs and Upstairs Actually, however, most people drift to and fro on the misty flats, never touching either extreme. Life for the majority is a combination of good, bad, and indifferent. As the Abbe Dimnet suggests, they live their moral lives, more or less consciously, in a two-storied house. 4 Downstairs are those habits and practices which, if they are not actually wrong and life-defeating, are at best ordinary and commonplace: " N a r r o w ideas, small grievances, petty sentiments, small triumphs, egoism, conceit, self-praise, gossip, flattery, flirtations, time-killing, useless travelling, frivolous week-ends, continuous radio, tyrannical business, tyrannical details, vanity, climbing, intriguing, pretense, posing." Upstairs are to be found those interests and traits of character which are of eminent and lasting worth: "Silence, solitude, choosing one's company, indifference to trifles, reading with a purpose, studying great issues, a moral viewpoint in politics, recreation in art, intelligent travel, love of nature, good music, best plays, best books, devotion to an idea, devotion to a cause, self-reform for a cause, kindness, forgiveness, patience, real religion." *Op. cit., p. xviiiff.

Life Versus Existence

129

A g a i n , it is obvious that lives are lived at different levels, and the difference between them is very great.

The Great

Danger

T h a t life may thus remain forever a childish game called "Upstairs, downstairs, all around the house," that man w i l l be forever content to meander along the level plain, the middle way, is a grave, besetting danger. Again, let us listen to one who tells the story w e l l : " T h e great danger facing all of us is not that we shall make an absolute failure of life, nor that we shall f a l l into outright viciousness, nor that we shall be terribly unhappy, nor that we shall feel that l i f e has no meaning at all—not these things. T h e danger is that we may fail to perceive life's greatest meaning, fall short of its highest good, miss its deepest and most abiding happiness, be unable to render the most needed service, be unconscious of life ablaze with the light of the presence of God—and be content to have it so—that is the danger. That some day we may wake up and find that always we have been busy with the husks and trappings of life—and have really missed life itself. F o r life without God, to one who has known the richness and joy of life with H i m , is unthinkable, impos-

130

Creative

Christian

Living

sible. That is what one prays one's friends may be spared—satisfaction with a life that falls short of the best, that has in it no tingle and thrill which comes from a friendship with the Father."5 T o be content to exist rather than to live is not only the great danger but also the great tragedy of life. It is tragic, for example, to see a salmon circle endlessly round and round the pool at the foot of the waterfall without ever fulfilling its destiny by breaking water and springing for the upper level, falling back, and springing again. Many men are like that—and they are even more tragic! They remain complacently in the lower pool of inertia and mediocrity when, if they but had the courage to spring, to fall back, to spring again, there are levels upon levels of glorious life waiting to be achieved. Did they but realize it, the resiliency, the very significance of man's life, "lies in its restlessness, in its divine discontents, in the desire of the moth for the star; in its pioneering, adventurous, exploring energy; and when we let this impulse die down in us, the limpet wins, and the spring goes out of our footsteps and the wings that life has given us wither away."8 'Phillips Brooks. Richard Roberts, The Ascending Life, pp. 11-12. Used by permission of the National Board of the Young Womens Christian Associations of the United States of America. e

Life

Versus

Existence

131

THE ABUNDANT LIFE

T h e Christian religion guards against this danger and tragedy by stimulating these divine discontents. It points man ever onward and upw a r d to w h e r e existence is transformed into life. Some question this statement. T h e number of those born and bred in Missouri is legion. T h e y w i l l not choose the Christian W a y unless they can see beforehand just what the Christian religion has to offer to everyday living. T h e r e f o r e , though scattered references have already given an inkling of the difference it makes in life, let us now weave these separate threads into a single tapestry that w e m a y see the v i v i d and vari-colored design of life as conceived in the mind of the Master Artist. I am convinced that when once the eyes of man have been opened to see this design for life, this w o r k of art, he w i l l not have sufficient sales-resistance to refrain f r o m p a y i n g the price, the tremendous price, w h i c h is demanded. An

Answer

to Life's

Riddle

T h e first and all-inclusive contribution made to l i f e by the Christian religion is a satisfying answer to life's riddle. T h i s answer man has forever sought. T h i s contribution is made, however, only

132

Creative Christian

Living

if religion itself is not regarded as a problem to be solved. To regard it as such is to render it impotent. Many searchers after truth in the sphere of religion make this mistake. As Canon Streeter says in his book Reality, a book which in every respect lives up to its name, these searchers are asking the wrong question. "Instinctively anyone brought up in the Christian tradition—provided always he does not belong to the number of those who would prefer to think it false—frames his question in the form, Is Christianity true? But merely to state the question thus precludes a satisfactory answer; for the very form of the question implies that Religion is itself a problem, whereas the truth of .Religion is a matter worth inquiring about only if, and in so far as, it offers a solution of the problems which are posed by life . . . Having once begun by asking the wrong question, he finds himself 'defending the faith'; in effect, he has got himself into the position of being anxious to save Religion, instead of expecting Religion to save him."7 To say that religion is not itself a problem necessitates a series of clarifying negatives. It is not to cast aspersions on the "I.Q." of religion. It 7 B. H. Streeter, Reality, iz-x.

New York, 1926, T h e Macmillan Co., pp.

Life

Versus

Existence

133

is not a back-handed w a y of admitting that Christianity has no intellectual leg on w h i c h to stand. I t is not to urge man to leave his mind at home w h e n he goes to call upon religion, to accept everything on faith, faith being falsely interpreted to mean an unthinking and emotional short-cut to k n o w l e d g e and often the outcome of sentimental wishful-thinking. Such ideas are f a r f r o m the truth. A good theology, reinterpreted in the light of all modern k n o w l e d g e and couched in intellectual phraseology w h i c h is not antiquated, is of inestimable importance. Such reinterpretation is imperative, and religionists should not be alarmed by it. It is a compliment to say that "the history of theology is the record of discarded errors." T r u t h is truth, come w h e n c e it may, cost what it w i l l , and it must be welcomed. N o , man's mind must accompany h i m everywhere. "Jesus never said, ' C o m e unto me all ye w h o are too lazy to think for yourselves.' " 8 T o say that religion is not itself a problem to be solved is rather to urge that man bring not only his mind but also his heart, his w i l l , his entire being, w h e n he comes to pay his respects to religion. I t is to claim that there are some realities in l i f e w h i c h must be approached heart-first rather 8Henry

Sloane Coffin.

134

Creative

Christian

Living

than head-first, and that religion is one of them. It is to realize that life's exclamation points are even more important than its question marks. It is to see a picture rather than a diagram or blueprint. It is to maintain that the language of religion is more closely akin to art than to science, that the florist's window tells the truth: some things must be said with flowers. A simple analogy will serve to clarify the issue. A man sits down to a meal with a friend. H o w does he determine whether or not the meal and his friend are good? As to the former, he considers its balance, its weight, its calories and vitamins, its seasoning. Finally he dissects, devours, and digests its several courses. When all of this has been done, he is in a position to give forth a pronouncement. His friend, however, would not fare so well under such coldly calculating, cannibalistic treatment—nor would such be necessary. Though he can formulate rationalistic reasons explaining his friendship, these do not help very much. When all is said and done, he knows his friend to be a good friend, and that is all there is to it. In other words, friendship absolutely defies formulas. Like light and life, it carries its own credentials.

Life Versus

Existence

135

Religion is in the same category as friendship. Since it exists in the realm of h u m a n relationships, its life is destroyed if it is dissected, if it is regarded as a problem. I t is most susceptible to an insidious disease known as "paralysis by analysis." In substance, the Christian message is primarily a Gospel. I t proclaims good news. Those who first heard it named it this because to them it seemed to give an answer to the practical questions of life, to present not something to be swallowed but a way to be followed, followed through to the death. If seen in its true light, the Christian religion can likewise solve life's riddle today. It still supplies a philosophy which commands intellectual respect. T h o u g h it does leave some corners in darkness, it best interprets most of the facts of life and presents a way of living which is really livable. T h i s is all that can be expected of any philosophy. " H o w is it proved? It isn't proved, you fool, it can't be proved. H o w can you prove a victory before it's won? H o w can you prove a man who leads, to be a leader worth the following unless you follow to the death? . . . God's my leader, and I hold that H e is good, and strong enough to work H i s plan and purpose out to its

136

Creative

Christian

Living

appointed end. I am no fool, I have my reasons for this faith, but they are not the reasonings, the coldly calculated formulae of thought divorced from feeling. They are true, too true for that."" These words express profoundly simple common sense, and such an attitude is sadly needed if much of modern thinking is not to end in intellectual bankruptcy. A Dynamic

Certitude

A kindred contribution of the Christian religion is a dynamic certitude by which to live. For such positive conviction there is again abundant need in a chaotic, uncertain world. Superficially, this would seem to be the last thing that religion has to offer. Morever, many feel that this is the last thing they wish from its hand. Such attitudes, however, are to be explained by the fact that a number of persons have not thought their way through the questions of doubt and certitude. One common error is to make a false distinction between sacred and secular knowledge. Many seem to believe that God reveals religious truth miraculously from above but leaves man to discover other truth on his own initiative. Conse•Studdert Kennedy, op. cit.

Life

Versus

Existence

137

quently, to doubt the latter is perfectly natural and orthodox, but to question the former is rankest heresy. Obviously, such a distinction is unwarranted. I t has just been said that truth is truth, come whence it may. Consequently, as long as man lives will he turn the indicative sentences of religion into interrogatory sentences. Indeed, religion is and must always be peculiarly subject to doubts inasmuch as it is constantly dealing with unseen premises, unseen powers, and unseen promises. This dubitative quality in religion, however, should be no cause for alarm. Honest doubt is not only a natural but also a healthy sign. Familiar are the lines in Tennyson's In Memoriam: T h e r e lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds.

As a matter of fact, if religious questionings never assail, one may rest assured that the period of stagnation has already set in. Like Horace Bushnell, one must learn to think and learn to doubt, for truly can it be said that on the stepping-stones of our dead doubts we rise to higher things. Another common mistake in the field of religious thought is to identify certitude with unreasoning dogmatism which permits no criticism, or

138

Creative

Christian

Living

with full and accurate knowledge. This, too, is unjustifiable. Religious certitude, like certitude in any other sphere of knowledge, must readily submit to change. In a sense there is no faith "once for all delivered to the saints," complete and sewed up in the theologian's little black bag. From birth to death, man's consciousness of God must constantly evolve. Immature and sometimes childish conceptions must ever give way to higher and higher conceptions as new experiences and the light of new knowledge play upon them. Indeed, it is a case of arrested development if this gradual transformation does not take place. T o write in the obituary column that Mr. So-and-So's last utterance was the prayer he learned at his mother's knee is often to insult rather than to pay tribute. It might mean that though Mr. So-andSo was sixty, his religious mind was that of a child of six. The two points which have just been made have constructive bearing upon religious certitude. T o say that religious doubts must forever be reckoned with and that one's idea of God will change tomorrow does not mean that religious certitude is an impossibility. When a person says that he is sure of his friend, for example, he does not imply that he will not at some time question his friend's

Life

Versus

139

Existence

actions or that he w i l l a l w a y s think of h i m in just the same w a y .

H e is not d e n y i n g that he w i l l

learn m u c h m o r e about h i m t h r o u g h d a i l y contact w h i c h w i l l m a k e this f r i e n d s h i p richer next year. H e takes it f o r granted that this relationship w i l l m e l l o w and deepen w i t h the years.

I n the mean-

time, h o w e v e r , he knows that he can depend upon his f r i e n d now, that his friend's c o m p a n y is enjoyable and stimulating.

M o r e o v e r , he is confident

that there w i l l be continuity in the process of change, that something w i l l last, that he w i l l have the same t h o u g h a different f r i e n d a decade hence. O n c e again does religious certitude f a l l in the category of h u m a n relationships. H o w e v e r imperfect and incomplete m a y be one's conception of God,

nevertheless

such consciousness

definiteness to t h i n k i n g and

releases

does

lend

immediate

e n e r g y f o r action. M o r e o v e r , one knows that G o d w i l l be f o r e v e r the same, f o r e v e r dependable, even though there are other things yet to be learned about

Him,

things w h i c h

the

f u t u r e holds

in

store f o r those w h o in h u m i l i t y and yet w i t h confidence

keep

their

spirits

hearts and minds alert.

responsive

and

their

T h i s is of the essence of

C h r i s t i a n faith and conviction.

I t is m u c h more

than a question of opinion or conjecture or even

140

Creative

Christian

Living

belief. As Donald Hankey expressed it, it is "betting your life there is a God." Such conviction, such certitude, is all-important to life. We must be sure of something if we are to be really alive. And to be sure of God lends joy to living, strength for work, and inspiration for high adventure. But detailed explanations often end in sophistries. The story of Christian certitude cannot be told more forcefully nor more simply than by one who stood on the threshold of another life and spoke to those who remained behind. " T e l l the boys that I've grown surer of God every year of my life, and I've never been so sure as I am right now. Why, it's all so!—it's a fact—it's a dead certainty. I'm so glad to find that I haven't the least shadow of shrinking or uncertainty . . . I've been preaching and teaching these things all my life, and I'm so much interested to find that all we've been believing and hoping is so. I've always thought so and now that I'm right up against it, I know . . . T e l l them I say 'good-bye'— they've been a joy to me. I've had more than any man that ever lived, and life owes me nothing. I've had work I loved, and I've lived in a beautiful place among congenial friends. I've had love in its highest form and I've got it forever . . .

Life

Versus

Existence

141

I can see now that death is just the smallest thing —just an incident—that it means nothing." 1 0 A Dignified

Status in the

Universe

Third, the Christian conception of life and the cosmos gives man a dignified status in the universe. T o make this claim would again seem to be ridiculous if one has even the slightest appreciation of the nature of the universe. Consider, for example, its infinity of magnitude. Listen to Sir James J e a n s : " A few stars are known which are hardly bigger than the earth, but the majority are so large that hundreds of thousands of earths could be packed inside each and leave room to spare; here and there we come upon a giant star large enough to contain millions of millions of earths. And the total number of stars in the universe is probably something like the total number of grains of sand on all the seashores of the world . . . F o r thfe most part each voyages in splendid isolation, like a ship on an empty ocean. In a scale model in which the stars are ships, the average ship will be well over a million miles from its nearest neighbor." 1 1 1 0 The last message of Dr. W. Cosby Bell, Professor of Theology, to his students at the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia. llThe Mysterious Universe, New York, The Macmillan Co., 1930, pp. 1-2.

142

Creative

Christian

Living

Consider also the infinity of complexity. The microscope reveals many wondrous and staggering things. When a snowflake falls on a warm pavement and melts, more molecular changes take place in that instant than all the movements in all the troops in all the armies in the World War. In a single common steel pin there are so many electrons in incessant motion that the human race in a million years could not count them, yet not one electron touches another. Or consider the infinity of time. Man's life covers a span of sixty or seventy or eighty years. In rare instances he lives to be a centenarian, in which case the whole country becomes excited and celebrates the occasion. But biologists say that at least two million years stretch behind man, and, so far as they can tell, a time of equal length lies ahead. In the light of such revelations, it is no wonder that an age-old question comes spontaneously to our lips: "What is man?" And the answer we feef constrained to give is that he is but an infinitesimal dust-spot in a far-off corner of an ocean of space, that his life is but the blinking of an eye in an eternity of time. But wait! Must we answer in this wise? There is more yet to be seen. Despite the magnitude, the

Life Versus Existence

143

complexity, the infinity of time, both theologians and scientists are of one mind in recognizing orderliness, intelligence, and purpose at the heart of the universe. T h e beginning of The Mysterious Universe, for example, cannot be separated from its conclusion. In his final chapter, which he has most appropriately entitled "Into the Deep Waters," Sir James Jeans concludes: "Today there is a wide measure of agreement, which on the physical side of science approaches almost to unanimity, that the stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears as an accidental intruder into the realm of matter; we are beginning to suspect that we ought rather to hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter." 12 In such a statement we begin to see a faint ray of hope as regards man's status in the universe; but even this is not the completed story. Many eminent scientists go on to say that the purpose of this Mind, as revealed in nature and elsewhere, is definitely moral, that this Mind is striving to develop personalities, especially personalities which embody the quality of love. Therefore, 12

Ibid., p. 158.

144

Creative

Christian

Living

these same scientists tell us, this Mind, God, must be, not some vague cosmic Urge, but a moral Spirit, a Personality, a Personality of Love. 13 These verdicts, despite the sketchy treatment which they have received here, enable man to be justly proud of his status in the universe. God does not exist, if at all, by the grace of man. T o say "God" is not to say "Man" in a loud voice, as some seem to think. Rather is man seen to exist by the grace of God and is therefore of infinite worth. Both he and the purpose for which he was born stand out in the eyes of God. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick summarizes this point in his characteristic, vivid fashion: "Purpose for the Universe and purpose for each life are two aspects of the same thing and they mutually involve each other. N o t strong reason but weak imagination leads us to be terrified by the mere size of the Universe into the thought that God cannot care for us. So far as physical nature has any testimony to bear on the matter at all, she says, 'There is nothing too great for the Creator to accomplish, and nothing too small for him to attend to.' " 14 13 For further reference, see Wise Men Worship, a compilation of excerpts from scientists, philosophers, and professional men concerning science and religion. Compiled and edited by Mabel Hill. New York, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1931. li The Meaning of Prayer, New York, T h e Association Press, 1924, pp. 48, 52.

Life Versus

Existence

145

A Glorified Purpose Let us look more closely at this glorified purpose, this definite and lofty goal towards which the Christian religion bids man strive. The evidence seems to indicate that man is intended, not only to attain to the highest moral level himself, but also to share with God the great work of creation, the creation of other personalities of the highest moral stature. In this connection, it appears as if the work of creation has reached the point in the evolutionary process where the task is not to create a being superior to man but rather to create better men. In other words, man is a partner in an enormous cooperative enterprise—and an absolutely essential partner at that. N o "life dividends" can be sent out without his signature. God's work of creation cannot possibly come to fruition unless man assumes his appointed responsibilities and plays his part. This is but another way of saying that God has a will for every individual life. It is vitally important that man should realize this, but unfortunately such realization is not in vogue. Instead, there is an insidious whisper—a lie in the guise of a truth—being broadcast over a nationwide hook-up that it makes but little difference what life work anyone takes up. The selection of

14ό

Creative

Christian

Living

one's career seems to be nothing more than a game of bobbing for apples—any apple into which one can get one's teeth will do as well as any other. This is not true. It makes a tremendous difference what life work one selects, the difference between a vacancy and a vocation, between drift and purpose, between a calling and a job, between interest and monotonous treadmill existence, between real success and comparative failure. Unless one finds this will of God for his life work, he will not make sense in the world and the world will not make sense to him. In short, there is no substitute for losing oneself in the great and constructive task to which one feels called to give one's life. T o recognize this will and purpose will also go a long way towards lifting man out of moral chaos by reason of the fact that such recognition restores his sense of values. Indeed, the present chaos of the world is largely the result of the loss of a sense of purpose. Man's idea of value is always related to his idea of purpose. If any act enhances the plan and design at the heart of the universe, namely, the creation of personalities of the highest moral stature, it is good; if it defeats these aims, it is not good. As has been said, it is on this basis that the religious leaders of every century have spoken with much vehemence against the sins

Life

Versus

Existence

147

of men, not because they have held a low opinion of man but because they have held a high opinion of him, because they have seen a vision of what his life and the life of his fellows might become. In the final analysis, therefore, the source and standard of goodness are to be found in God's will and purpose for man. A l l moral value is determined by the character of God, which character is personified in Jesus of Nazareth. T o know what goodness is, one has but to see "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." T h i s is true goodness—"absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, absolute love" 1 5 —stamped with the seal of divine sanction. Though man's valuations of right and wrong may change with the shift of the tide and the drift of the wind, Jesus Christ stands supreme, forever the same, the revelation of the goodness for which God wills that men should strive and to which they may, through his help, attain. Fellowship

with

God

Next, the Christian religion leads man into personal and intimate fellowship with G o d ; and it is this fellowship, this spiritual experience, that he " T h e four "Touchstones" mentioned by Henry B . Wright in The Will of God and a Man's Life Work, New York, Association Press, 1909.

148

Creative

Christian

Living

most needs if his life is to be made new. A f a m i l i a r story is illustrative. A young man once went to Phillips Brooks with a knotty intellectual problem but he forgot to ask it. A s he came away, transformed, he said, "I did not care. I had found out that what I needed was not the solution of a special problem, but the contagion of a triumphant spirit." Some, on hearing this story, may i n f e r that this young man was referring to Phillips Brooks. In a sense, of course, he was. Y e t this great Christian leader and inspirer of youth would himself have been the last to claim credit f o r this transformation. He knew all too well that whatever there was of radiance and contagion in his own l i f e was due to the fact that he in turn had f o r years been in intimate and contagious association with life's greatest Triumphant Spirit. In other words, the "contagion of a triumphant spirit," which every man so greatly needs, is to be found supremely in Jesus Christ. This fellowship with God through prayer and communion is an intensely personal experience. A n d , as is the case in all personal relationships, definite conditions must be fulfilled if it is to become a reality. P r a y e r requires infinite patience; it demands a generous and regular apportionment of time. It is not dependent upon

Life Versus

Existence

149

p o s t u r e or place, upon f o r m or verbal expression. I t cannot be governed by moods, f o r oftentimes a m a n needs most to p r a y when he feels least like p r a y i n g . I t must be deleted of all semblance of magic, even t h o u g h it will f o r e v e r remain mysterious. Its f r e q u e n t e m p t y and vain repetitions must be given honest, intelligent, and unselfish content. T r u e p r a y e r embraces confession, adoration, intercession, and thanksgiving as well as petition, f o r G o d is not a "divine Santa Claus." I t should be, not a monologue addressed by man to God, but r a t h e r a dialogue between G o d and man, between F a t h e r and son. A n d when once man has prayed, he m u s t not rest at ease expecting G o d to do all that he has asked. R a t h e r must he bestir himself all the m o r e to help G o d accomplish the desired ends. T h e s e are but a few of the m a n y conditions w h i c h must be met if p r a y e r is to become a vital reality and m o u l d i n g factor in life. Suffice it to say that this art of the practice of the presence of G o d requires long and patient study and experimentation. 1 0 A n d it is the inevitable law of life that life itself will collapse if this t h r e a d r e a c h i n g u p into the unseen is snapped, even as a i«Cf. The Meaning of Prayer, by Harry Emerson Fosdick. it an excellent and popular study of prayer.

This

ISO

Creative

Christian

Living

spider's web collapses when the slender filament stretching up to the rafters of a barn is broken. T h e r e are persons with coldly analytical minds who call such prayerful experiences, be they highly mystical or no, sentimental foolishness, figments of the imagination, emotional hallucinations, psychological illusions, and what not. I cannot debate with them, for prayer is not a subject for argument. L i g h t and life must again carry their own credentials. T h e simple fact is that, after all the death blows of two thousand years of Christian history, " W e kneel, how w e a k ; we rise, how f u l l of power." " M a y b e , " writes Canon Raven of his personal experience of Christ on the battlefields of France, " M a y b e the visualizing of the Lord was due to my mental state; maybe, the words were my own rendering of His impact; but for the next nine months H e was never absent, and I never alone, and never save for an instant or two broken by fear. If H e who was with me when I was blown up by a shell, and gassed, and sniped at, with me in the hours of bombardment and the daily w a l k of death, was an illusion, then all that makes life worth living for me is illusion too . . . T h e r e are a f e w things so abundantly confirmed, so congruous to all that I know and do that of them I

Life Versus

Existence

151

can say Ί am sure.' Jesus is of them all to me the most secure." 17 N o man can gainsay such a spiritual experience, especially when he knows Canon Raven. And without similar experiences, be they thus plainly externalized or otherwise, man's life falls short. St. Augustine's words are as true now as when they were first written: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee." A Daring

Adventure

The enterprise into which the Christian religion draws men is a daring adventure in comparison to which buccaneering and fighting Indians look tame, and the promises of Garibaldi seem mild. E v e r since St. Paul's day, it has spoken to young men because they are strong. It does bring comfort, yes, but not comfortableness. How vividly Lloyd C. Douglas depicts this in his religious novel, Magnificent Obsession: "Ordinary religion is intended to bring comfort. Believe such-andsuch, and have comfort, peace, assurance that all is well and a Great Somebody is looking after things. Well—this religion that Hudson had cer" C h a r l e s Raven, A Wanderer's Co., 1929, p. 204.

Way, New York, Henry Holt &

152

Creative

Christian

Living

tainly brought him no c o m f o r t ! . . . Rode him like the Old M a n o' the Sea . . . lashed him on . . . hounded him by day and haunted him by night . . . worked him like a slave . . . obsessed him!" 1 8 T h a t is the story. If one wishes to remain comfortable and safe, let him stay as f a r away f r o m Christ as possible. T o f o l l o w Christ uncompromisingly makes man a fool f o r his sake, a daredevil with a touch of madness and reckless abandon. Jesus does not promise health or wealth o r length of days. His own body was soon broken. H e had not w h e r e to lay his head. H e was nailed to a cross at the young age of thirty-three. Instead, his promises are harsh, severe, exacting, thrilling. Y e t those adventuresome men w h o have responded to this call f o r heroic followers, those w h o have been w i l l i n g to be loyal through and through and have had the courage to f o l l o w all the way, have found that the l i f e is w o r t h the price. Despite reverses they have struggled on, f o r they have learned that a Christian must fight with his scabbard a f t e r his sword has been broken, that f o r him defeat is nothing but a challenge to another battle. T h e y have found danger exhilarating in Christ's cause and presence. A n d with a 1 8 New

York, Willett, C l a r k & Co., 1929, p. 124.

Life Versus

Existence

153

smile they have poured out their life's blood on their own calvaries, confident that the mysterious old method of victory through defeat is the most profound wisdom of human conduct, and knowing that love can laugh at death when it is God who loves and is loved. " T h e moment of a man's complete external failure," writes Richard Roberts, "may be the moment of his perfect inward triumph. Even the defeat of his projects may only show forth the victory of his personality. T o give one's life to a great and beneficent task, to some adventure of redemption, to be resisted and to be frustrated again and again, and still to carry on without bitterness and without despair, and then in the end to be finally defeated, and in that hour still to keep love and faith unspotted and undiminished—that is the topmost height of life. T o love when hate is trampling you underfoot in its mud, to trust and believe when your dearest hope lies dead, a mangled corpse, that is the final splendor of personality; and whatever else may fail, that does not fail; whatever else may die, that cannot die." 19 Life Fit to Be

Eternal

All in all, the Christian religion holds out to men a quality of life which is fit to be eternal, a 19

Op. cit.,

p. 46.

154

Creative

Christian

Living

life throbbing with vitality and joy, with peace and self-control. This is what Christ promised and this was certainly the tenor of his own life. Jesus himself was no joyless person. He has been called in all reverence "the most popular dinner guest in Jerusalem." "Eating and drinking, a wine-bibber, and the intimate of renegades"—that is the way the gospels tell us that people talked against him; and yet these records also say that none could discover in him a trace of sin. Jesus loved life. He dreaded to part with life. The Garden of Gethsemane proves that. Yet he laid down his life to fulfill God's purpose, laid it down of his own free will for his friends. And as he did so, the characteristic word "Joy" was on his lips, the word which he had loved throughout his entire life. In effect, Jesus lived out his promise, the promise that man could have life and have it more abundantly. If the Christian life today takes its cue from its Founder, it cannot be drab, colorless, restricting, gloomy, becoming to little Lord Fauntleroys and pious Tiny Tims but unfashionable for redblooded persons who want to be alive. Instead, it offers everyone who will give it a fair chance, who will live as if Christ's promises are true, a quality of life about which most people are con-

Life Versus

Existence

155

tent to dream. If anyone follows this way, his life will glow with a new radiance. H e will come to know the joy of having found an adequate meaning and purpose in life, the peace of a central decision made, the self-control which loses its painfulness because it is also the fullest self-realization. It is not the peace and joy of listless placidity but rather the joy and peace of strenuous activity out in the world, up on the heights, where men are men. Peace Joy Peace Up

does not mean the end of all our striving, does not mean the drying of our tears; is the power that comes to souls arriving to the light where God Himself appears.

Joy is the wine that God is ever pouring Into the hearts of those who strive with Him, Light'ning their eyes to vision and adoring, Strength'ning their arms to warfare glad and grim. 20

So to live is to draw eternity into time and to fill time with eternity. So to live is life eternal. * # * * * This is the way of creative Christian living. It is a choice. Christ never forces or cajoles. Some 20

Studdert Kennedy, o f . cit., " T h e Suffering God."

156

Creative Christian

Living

"do not choose to run." Some choose the way of the bird, drifting down the wind and never battling the gale. Some choose the way of the ostrich, sticking their heads in the sand and refusing to face the world of reality. Some choose the way of the drunkard and proceed to drown their sorrows and troubles, only to awaken to find that their troubles are incapable of drowning, that they always float and are waiting for them when they return to their senses. Some, desirous of quick answers, drink from the bottle without first reading the label, seek to quench their thirst for life by gulping sea-water. And some, proverbial hangersback like Stevenson's "Will o' the Mill," expect to choose someday. But others, who see the Christian Way as a necessity rather than an option if they are to be alive, who have learned the art of selling a fact that they might buy a dream, set their faces resolutely towards Jerusalem. They may not reach their destination, but they are not discouraged for they realize that the value of a journey is not in the journey's end but in the journey itself, in striving to reach the goal that they are always yearning for and drawing courage from the fact that they are always coming nearer to it. In the spirit of the "Wild Knight" they go:

Life Versus

Existence

157

So, with the wan waste grasses in my spear, I ride forever, seeking after God. M y hair grows whiter than my thistle-plume, And all my limbs are loose; but in my eyes T h e star of an unconquerable praise: For in my soul one hope forever sings, T h a t at the next white corner of the road M y eyes may look on Him. 2 1

H e w h o would be alive, let him forget those things which are behind, let him stretch forward to the things which are before, let him "press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 22 " G . K. Chesterton, " T h e Wild Knight," in The Wild and Other Poems, New York, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1914. "Philippians 3:13-14.

Knight