The Pulpit Speaks: May 5, 1956

An article written by my father, the Rev. C. Thomas Paige, as it appeared in the Tri-State Defender on the date shown.

“Not in the foreseeable future.” Thus we find a man summarizing one of the most vital issues of our day.

A few days ago, one of the outstanding generals of our army was being questioned about the possibility of a warless day and generation. After many pointed questions were asked, the speaker asked him “Do you think that the day will come when we will not need armies and navies to protect our interests?” The general replied: “Not in the foreseeable future!”

As I listened to the conversation, the man – to me – was just asking this question: “Do you think the time will ever come when men will mature spiritually, socially, intellectually, and economically that they will be able to live in harmony and goodwill?”

I think that is a question that each of us could and should ask himself. Now, let’s not be too hurried. I know exactly what some of the great minds are saying right now: “If we could get Japan, China, Africa and Russia straight, everything else will be in proper shape.”

BLAME OTHERS

It seems to me that we are always wanting to put the blame for failures on someone else. In a like manner, we are always ready to grab all of the honors for ourselves. Yes, I grant you, that the world would be better if we could get the named countries to do right. But then comes the age-old question: what is right? Are you going to say that all peoples should forsake their way of doing things and accept our way of doing things? Do you think that you are so right that your neighbor should stop growing lilies and grow roses because you like roses better? Do you think that your neighbor should stop punishing his child because you have chosen not to punish yours? Do you think that your neighbor should build a two-story house or buy a Cadillac when a one-story house and a Chevrolet will serve his needs?

MUST BE A BETTER WAY

What, then, is the answer for all our present day confusion? One thing is sure: I feel that now we know that materialism is not the answer.

We could go on and on analyzing one thing after another only to learn that this, too, is not the answer. But at the basis of all of our thinking there must be a way out. As the soldier who lay dying uttered in his closing breath, “There must be a better way!” surely there is. There is a way that, contrary to the thinking of this man of arms, can be realized in the foreseeable future. I know that this was his way of saying it would never happen. But it can happen and I dare to say it can happen here and now. Peace, kindness, love, tolerance, truth and all the other virtues I could list are not something that will be realized in the far, distant future, but here and now.

I know that there are those who have taken the far-away look at a whole lot of things. Every now and then, I come in contact with people, and I engage them in conversation. Soon the conversation moves into close quarters where we resort to asking pointed questions. Almost without fail, some come up with the answer “Yes, but not in my day and time.”

It seems to me that when people allow themselves to come to such conclusions in life, they have adopted the role of the defeatists.

AGAINST THE GRAIN

Now, just for the sale of argument, let us analyze this “Not in my day and time” or “Not in the foreseeable future.” What are these people saying? Just this: I know that things are not what they should be and I am also admitting that I am not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to make them what they should be. I know that my church, my school, my lodge, my fraternity, and my home are all not what they should be. Rather than run against the grain, I will accept the easier way out and go along with the tide. I will lay myself at the mercy of the tide and let nature take its course.

And I dare say, that after a long time of going along with the tide, we forget about what duty, decency and right demand. We only become concerned about ourselves and our own welfare. We are willing to follow afar off.

Those of us who are familiar with our bibles know that in the afar off. It was then that he lost sight of the cause and became concerned about Peter. So many of us today are Peters. We have left the main function of life off and our chief concerns have been our own. It is then that people can say “not in the foreseeable future.” They say, in so many words, I am not ready to do what I should do that certain things might be realized.

I heard sometime ago that a man was praying and during the course of his prayer, he said: “Thy kingdom come – BUT NOT NOW!” There are many of us today saying just the same thing – “But not now.” We realize that for certain things that should come to pass we would have to sacrifice more than is desirable on our part, and to that extent we say “Not in the foreseeable future.”

But, my friends, progress is not based on emotions and the way people feel about certain things. It is based upon old-fashioned stick-to-it-ness and grim determination. Generations ago, people did not have nearly the facilities we now have, but they did much more to eradicate moral, spiritual and social evils than we dare to. Let us, then, be up and doing!