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Show (fDbltgatttftt of tlt (Eljitrrlj ! in tlti llnduttgman By BISHOP HENRY C. POTTER. SYou nml I, whether wo nre disposed to like the situation sit-uation or not and most of us resent it ns nn insufferable insuffer-able impertinence nre confronted in this republic nnd in this twentieth century with incqmpnrnbly tho most tremendous problem in its relation to the right construction of human society with which tho republic re-public hns yet had to deal, nnd that problem is tho problem of tho unification of tho ideas nnd sympathies nnd purposes and niins of men. First of nil, wo nre to recognize the situation, tho tremendous convolution, tho transformation, I may venture to call it, which hns como to pass in tho work-ingmnn's work-ingmnn's life by tho invention of machinery, by tho building up of great central forces for tho employment of man under conditions con-ditions which separate him absolutely from tho master whom ho serves. It is not the giving of money or the creation of chnritnblo institutions, that builds up tho feeling of brotherhood among men. The poor man resents re-sents our condescension. He docs not want that or your gold; ho wants recognition of his manhood. Tho shop girl wants you to honor her womanhood; wom-anhood; to respect her in tho task in which sho is toiling and Buffering. You can do much to make that task cosier and create on atmosphere in which she and you can move aliko as members of the same divine society and fellow soldiers under Christ. This brings into view tho relation of the church to these great social problems. You and I somehow or other must bring the man who works with his hands to recognize his place, his right, his office, his calling in tho church of God. Tho first business of the church is to placo her houses of worship at tho service of the peoplo who work with their hands and then in the life of the church to encourage that spirit which will help us to understand un-derstand nnd to servo it. There is but ono way to do that. Instead of turning to uny "ism" of tho hour oi theory of social reconstruction, or any new philosophy which undertakes to re-crcato society upon theories which are essentially barbaric in their nature, you and I must go back and look into the face of the Master nnd find in Him the secret of our service and our triumph. |