Christian Churches and Churches of Christ; Lutz, Henry Frey, 1868-1926 -- Biography; Restoration movement (Christianity)
Second, I wish to throw out a warning against engendering or
encouraging the class spirit which we find so severely condemned in the
New Testament. In the New Testament we read nothing about churches for
different classes or about different classes as separate missionary
problems, but the effort is to reach all classes through the local
churches along the line of least resistance. The best thing on earth
for these various classes is that they might be brought into vital
touch with the best Christian people in our local churches. Some have
even gone so far as to claim that we cannot reach the slum element, but
must leave that to the Salvation Army, etc. If that is true, so much
the worse for our Christianity. A truly New Testament church is the
incarnation of the wisdom and love of God for reaching any and all
classes of people. The class spirit is the outgrowth of ignorance,
prejudice and selfishness and is always sinful among Christians. Our
experience with tuberculosis and with the modern complicated industrial
and political systems, is thrusting upon us anew Christ's teaching
about the brotherhood of man or the solidarity of the race. On the
whole, it is true that the race suffers or rejoices, rises or falls,
together. We condemn the segregation of foreign races in different
sections of our large cities. But the segregation of the better, or at
least more fortunate, classes, is just as bad and more disastrous to
the welfare of the city. Social settlements and institutional churches
are manifestations of the Christ spirit, but they are only proxies and
excuses for the mass of Christians and but samples and crumbs in place
of the square meal that a square deal would supply. What these
institutions are doing in a comparatively unnatural and artificial way
is simply a hint of what could and would be done if all church-members
would practise the Christ spirit in all their daily walk and
conversation. To give a few dollars to help pay a few mission workers
to live Christ in the slum districts is all right, but is no adequate
substitute for all Christians giving all their life to uplift and save
their country and the whole world. The best institutional church is the
one that through its spiritual ministries inspires its members to live
Christ in politics, in business, in society, in the home and everywhere
else. So far as possible, let us minimize and discourage the class
spirit in every way, shape and form. It is marvelous what the true
Christ spirit will do along this line. A church of Christ was recently
organized at Romney, W. Va., with two-thirds of the members foreign
born. With a few days' effort nineteen Italians recently joined the
Christian Church at Uhrichsville, O. Similar results have followed
faithful efforts in New York City and at many other places. If in love
and faith we would make a serious effort to reach these classes through
the local churches, we would do ten times more to reach and help them
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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