Part 13 (1/2)

Already from this Mission sixteen earnest Christian members have returned to Italy, each having two Bibles, one to give away.

Who can measure the leavening force of the gospel carried by the many who return and who are scattered up and down throughout all the lovely land of Italy.

Home Missions is not bounded in its results by the seas surrounding the home land, but reaches far away into the heart of the old world across the seas.

It is not possible here to differentiate the various races and peoples in our land, each of whose particular circ.u.mstances and need and reaction upon our national life makes an urgent claim upon the integrating power of Home Missions and the church.

Pa.s.sing mention only can be made of the special needs of the Mexicans in the United States, thousands upon thousands of whom are voting citizens and yet are quite unable through deep ignorance, and lack of standards of life to take their places as part of the people who govern.

El Paso, Texas, shows 40,000 permanent Mexican residents; Southern California, 80,000. They form one-half the population of Arizona and more than half of New Mexico and are found in other Western and Southwestern states.

Home Missions is giving a very valuable and varied service to these Americans from old Mexico.

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 a.s.similative 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 h.o.m.ogeneity 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 h.o.m.ogeneous 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 j.a.panese, 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 sh.o.r.es.

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 j.a.panese evangelist, Rev. Kiyomatsu Kimura, for six years pastor of the Congregational church of Kioto, known as the Moody of j.a.pan, 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 j.a.panese and Koreans accepted Christ.

In New York City his brief stay admitted of only three evening meetings, when twenty decided for the Christian faith. Probably just as remarkable results will attend his efforts in Chicago and the far West.

Rev. Mr. Kimura received his training in personal and evangelistic work in the Moody Inst.i.tute of Chicago.

”An American artist on the wall of a library building has striven to represent the spirit of America by a procession of men, women and children.

”They are all marching together with eager expectation on their upturned faces and the morning light s.h.i.+nes on them.”

Yes, America offers hope, a future, the upward path, to the crowding millions, but only as the light of G.o.d illumines and makes clear the way and His voice stills the hate of race and cla.s.s, saying ”Come unto Me,” and ”Bear ye one another's burdens.”

VI