Home Missions in ActionAllen, Edith H. (Edith Hedden)
History
Home Missions in Action
Allen, Edith H. (Edith Hedden)
Home missions
The Orientals of America form a distinct group. Marked racial
differences and their background of the mystic, age-old East leave
them separated and apart in a conglomerate civilization whose
assimilative power is the wonder of the age. They form thus far
the largest body of "irreconcilables," to use Prof. Lowell's term,
found in our land.
"It is indeed largely a perception of the need of of homogeneity
as a basis for popular government and the public opinion on which
it rests, that justifies democracies in resisting the influx in
great numbers of a widely different race.
"One essential condition to a democracy is that people should be
homogeneous to such a point that the minority is willing to accept
the decisions of the majority on all questions that are normally
expected to arise." [Footnote: Public Opinion and Population
Government--A. Lawrence Lowell.]
The German poet, Goethe, a most penetrating thinker, declared that
the prime quality of the real critic is sympathy. There is no
other realizing and understanding approach to a man or a race.
"The significant ideals, the organized energy, the sustaining
vitality of an alien people must be sought and understood in order
to come into sympathetic touch with them." This is the only key to
mutual understanding and respect.
It is especially needful that the Oriental should be considered
from this standpoint: in varying degrees, according to their race
and standard, they lay a grave responsibility upon Home Missions.
By the tens of thousands they are here, Hindus, Chinese, Koreans,
and Japanese, bringing their ancient faiths, raising their temples
in our Christian land. Mohammedanism, Buddhism, Confucianism,
Brahmanism, and many other alien and heathen faiths count their
adherents by the thousands, while many one-time Christian folk are
turning to the modern forms of these religions.
The fact that rescue homes for Chinese slave girls are a feature
of Home Mission work among Orientals tells its own story of
degrading customs transplanted to America's shores.
Through colporteurs, evangelists, deaconesses, schools, homes,
hospitals and churches, Home Missions is giving the Christ to the
Orientals; and they, returning, carry the "new life" gained in
America to their great awakening lands where rests so much of the
world's future destiny. A great international evangelism is being
poured out by Home Missions; for these Christians that are
"scattered abroad go everywhere preaching the gospel."
A noted Japanese evangelist, Rev. Kiyomatsu Kimura, for six years
pastor of the Congregational church of Kioto, known as the Moody
of Japan, because of his great power as a soul winner, has been
visiting this country, preaching to his own people (January,
1915).
In Hawaii, as a result of his three months of labor, one thousand
Japanese and Koreans accepted Christ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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