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Show CRITICISM WiUST BE KINDLY Nothing Good Can Come of Method Which Does Not "Speak the Truth in Love." There is the story of a contentious man who said to his pastor, "I cannot can-not preach or pray or sing, but I can raise objections." Such men are not rare. There is .one, at least, in, almost every church, club, lodge or society of whatever kind. The critic is ever with us. And, candidly, we need him. We cannot do our best work without him. He is like the brake in the mechanism of a motorcar, motor-car, fie holds us back when we would go too fast. If at times he delays our progress, he is necessary to our safety. His conservatism counteracts the possible evils of radicalism. rad-icalism. Much might be said for the economy of criticism. But the method of criticism is also important. The brake should work smoothly. The critic need not destroy de-stroy the organism he proposes to reform. Often the effect of his criticism criti-cism is wholly destructive. Sometimes his methods remind us of the man whp set fire to a barn to rid it of rats.. A sensitive spirit who had been harshly treated by a critic retorted, "I know there is a cinder in my eye, but you can't remove it with a crowbar." The apostolic injunction, "speaking the truth in love," gives the critic a safe rule of action. No truth, however severe, is unwelcome, if it be spoken in love. It takes the spirit of Christ to take the sinner by the hand the while we take sin by the throat. Christian Herald. . . . |