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THE OTHER SIDE

Some one once offered wise Counsel to us Christians. He said, one should first read the good news from God in the morning, or else he should first turn on a Christian program. And only after that should he lake up the morning newspaper or turn on the news broadcast. Is it any wonder the world appears sick, when by instant relay the news features all the war, crime, drug abuse, divorces, accidents, protest demonstrations, and strikes that shatter the peace and well-being of our land? The news media claim to tell it as it is—today there is no subject too private, too sensitive, too indecent, nor too savage for the public eye.

I had a minister friend, now gone to glory, who took this appalling state of affairs to heart so badly that he fell into a most gloomy outlook himself. It was only with the greatest effort that he could restore a ray of brightness to his view. He did so by his faith in God over all, and by his trust in Jesus as personal Savior. For the rest, the world appeared to him, to be an irredeemable mess of hate and crime, most ripe for God’s judgment.

He should, however, have recognized also the restraining grace of God, active in our contemporary world. Thank God, there is a positive side of life for which we give God the praise, and which we must never overlook in the sick condition of the world. Even one of the secular newspaper publishers recognizes this positive side of things. Charles Gould, of the San Francisco Examiner, cites, the following statistics for the proceeding year:

– more than 196 million people were not arrested;

– more than 89 million persons did not file for divorce;

– more than 49 million students did not riot or petition to destroy our system;

– more than 9 million young men did not burn their draft cards;

– more than 75 million citizens and corporations paid more than $160 billions in income taxes.

– more than 115 million people were formally affiliated with some religious group.

Mr. Gould also said: “Never before in history has a people accomplished so much, given so much, and asked for so little . . . . Our society is far from perfect, but it is also far and away the most enlightened, most unselfish, most compassionate in the world’s history . . . . Let those apostles of despair who preach hate and disorder ask themselves what they have done and are doing for the good of their loved ones, their nation, and the world.”

The last is boastful humanism to which Christians cannot subscribe. We have the Word of God for the announcement of increasing apostasy, evil, and warfare in the last days. But thank God for the unmitigated good of freedom to worship, and open doors for missions. Let’s render the praise of our lips, the more zealous labors, and the more sacrificial giving, in view of the challenge of all these favorable conditions which the Lord has provided in these days.

RENZE O. DE GROOT