And so it must be with our Christian world of to-day. The doctrine of
Jesus has brought the world into the light. The Church, one of the
organs of the doctrine of Jesus, has fulfilled its mission and is now
useless. The world cannot be bound to the Church; but the deliverance of
the world from the Church will not ensure life. Life will begin when the
world perceives its own weakness and the necessity for a different
source of strength. The Christian world feels this necessity: it
proclaims its helplessness, it feels the impossibility of depending upon
its former means of nourishment, the inadequacy of any other form of
nourishment except that of the doctrine by which it was brought forth.
This modern European world of ours, apparently so sure of itself, so
bold, so decided, and within so preyed upon by terror and despair, is
exactly in the situation of a newly born animal: it writhes, it cries
aloud, it is perplexed, it knows not what to do; it feels that its
former source of nourishment is withdrawn, but it knows not where to
seek for another. A newly born lamb shakes its head, opens its eyes and
looks about, and leaps, and bounds, and would make us think by its
apparently intelligent movements that it already has mastered the secret
of living; but of this the poor little creature knows nothing. The
impetuosity and energy it displays were drawn from its mother through a
medium of transmission that has just been broken, nevermore to be
renewed. The situation of the new comer is one of delight, and at the
same time is full of peril. It is animated by youth and strength, but it
is lost if it cannot avail itself of the nourishment only to be had from
its mother.
And so it is with our European world. What complex activities, what
energy, what intelligence, does it apparently possess! It would seem as
if all its deeds were governed by reason. With what enthusiasm, what
vigor, what youthfulness do the denizens of this modern world manifest
their abounding vitality! The arts and sciences, the various industries,
political and administrative details, all are full of life. But this
life is due to inspiration received through the connecting link that
binds it to its source. The Church, by transmitting the truth of the
doctrine of Jesus, has communicated life to the world. Upon this
nourishment the world has grown and developed. But the Church has had
its day and is now superfluous.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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