It comes back to that as it has always come back. Are we going to
serve God or Devils? Is the Christian world going to crucify Christ
again or obey His commands? There are many religions in the world but
all men have the same God in their hearts. Catholic, Protestant or
Jew, Mohammedan, Hindu or Buddhist, the God that is revealed to them
has the same attributes of mercy, justice, love, under whatever name
they worship the Spirit. It is because men are disloyal to their God
that the world is afflicted by so much unnecessary evil, by so many
tragedies and tears.
The Christian peoples at least are dedicated to peace, by words that
they cannot ignore without treachery to the spirit of their faith.
There is no Christianity in hatred, none in class warfare, none in
violence against our neighbour, none in envy of our neighbour’s goods,
none in denial of the labourer’s hire, none without love and pity and
self-sacrifice. It is only by rededicating ourselves to that spirit
that we can hope to solve the problems that beset us on every side, and
exorcise the evil powers in the heart of humanity which are working for
destruction.
Ten years after the world war civilisation is still unsafe. Ten years
after the great sacrifice of youth peace is not assured for the
babes who are now in their cradles. But, ten years after, there is
the beginning, at last, of a world opinion rising up against the war
makers, eager for some new form of international law, determined to
prevent another massacre of young manhood by the science and machinery
of destruction, aware of the evil forces that are working for new
conflict. The tides of hate are on the ebb in many countries. The
spirit of peace is spreading, if slowly. It is the hope ahead.
Ten years after let us remember the splendour and the spirit of the
youth that died for ideals not yet fulfilled.