The American shook his head dubiously. "There is but one
remedy--education. Not sectarian, partisan, worldly education--not
instruction in relative truths and the chaff of materialistic
speculation--but that sort of education whereby the selfish human mind
is lifted in a measure out of itself, out of its petty jealousies and
envyings, out of sneaking graft and touting for worldly emolument, and
into a sense of the eternal truth that real prosperity and soundness
of states and institutions are to be realized only when the
Christ-principle, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself,' is made the measure
of conduct. There is a tremendous truth which has long since been
demonstrated, and yet which the world is most woefully slow to grasp,
namely, that the surest, quickest means of realizing one's own
prosperity and happiness is in that of others--not in a world to come,
but right here and now."
"But that means the inauguration of the millennium," protested Josè.
"Well, and why not so?" returned the explorer calmly. "Has not that
been the ultimate aim of Christianity, and of all serious effort for
reform for the past two thousand years? And, do you know, the
millennium could be ushered in to-morrow, if men only thought so?
Within an incredibly short time evil, even to death itself, could be
completely wiped off the earth. But this wiping-off process must take
place in the minds and thoughts of men. Of that I am thoroughly
convinced. But, tell me, have you ever expressed to the Bishop your
views regarding the condition of this country?"
Josè flushed. "Yes," he replied in embarrassment. "Only a week ago I
tried again to convince him of the inevitable trend of events here
unless drastic measures were interposed by the Church. I had even
lectured on it in my classes."
"Well, what did he say?"
"The Bishop is a man of very narrow vision," replied Josè. "He rebuked
me severely and truculantly bade me confine my attention to the
particular work assigned me and let affairs of politics alone. Of
course, that meant leaving them to his assistant, Wenceslas. Mr. Hitt,
Colombia needs a Luther!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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