Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

poor?"Christian Missions and World RevolutionArthur F. Glasser*Assistant Home Director, China Inland MissionIn United Evangelical Action (Used by permission)Many Christians regard Communism as thepivotal issue of the day. "This is the age of Marxismand its Crusade for World Revolution," they cry.Then, having diagnosed the sickness they promptlyspecify the cure: "And we must counter Communism with a world-wide Crusade for Christ!"These are well-intentioned, brave words. Theycontain much truth. Moreover, they grip the heartsof Christian men. Two Crusades: Communist andChristian ; Two worlds : Slave and Free, Asiatic andWestern ! Two leaders : Antichrist and Christ ! However, to describe the world-wide crisis of the 20thCentury in these terms is to over-simplify a mostcomplex situation.Actually, there is on the natural level a movement in the world today that is far deeper and muchwider than the Communist movement. Unless oneunderstands this larger movement and seeks to relate Communism to it, he will not be able to judgeCommunism aright.What is this more extensive world-wide movement of our day? Ask yourself: What was behindthe "liberation" of China? What is behind the Mau-Mau unrest in Kenya? Behind the political instabilityof Latin America? Behind the mounting tension inthe Near East ? Behind the anti-colonial, anti-westernneutralism of Nehru ? Behind the Asian- African conference at Bandung, Indonesia?Early in April this year, Shah Mohammed RezaPahlevi of Iran called a special session of the Premier's Cabinet. He capitalized on the temporary absence of the Premier to seize his office for a seasonthat he might issue a most remarkable order. To thefearful officials, summoned into his presence, hegave the following abrupt challenge :I want you to make a revolution in this country. I want a revolution. I believe we have to makeit before others seize the chance to make one. Ifwe don't they will. If you cannot perform the heavytask I assign you, I will fire you.Why did he make such startling demands? Because he is aware as millions are aware thatrevolution, social revolution, is in the air, in thethinking of people throughout the world today.Arnold Toynbee, the noted British historian, has observed that this dawning hunger of the masses forchange is one of the most significantrevolutionaryfactors in the proper understanding of the worldwide crisis of our time. These innumerable peoples,who have suffered so patheticallyand pointlesslyfor centuries, are beginning to realize that theirmisery, poverty, sickness and harsh, grinding cirare altogether unnecessary. In fact,cumstances,they are beginning to realize that they are numerically strong enough to rise up and demand thatsomething be done to meet their abject need.212The world is in social revolution: this is itsdominant characteristic. Peoples in the "colonial,backward"areas have heard of the CapitalisticWest. Many have seen films, some have read books,all have listened to the speeches in the market-places."Why,"they ask, "should America be so wealthy,when we are so "How is it that the averageEnglishman appears to live such a comfortable life?""Why is it that in our country the wealth is concentrated in the hands of so few?" "Why is it thatwhile those wealthy white races ruled over us they?"did not make serious effort to help usThen too, they have sensed the corruption oftheir local governments, forever talking reform andyet doing nothing about it. In all probability, duringthe last decade there has been hardly an electionheld anywhere in the "restless" areas of the earthwithout most candidates enthusiastically thumpingfor land reform, but as yet no non-Communist nation has seriously tried to redistribute the landamong the people. Hence the growing restlessnessof the people.The Attraction of CommunismMasses of awakened peoples are demanding immediate and radical changes in their social systemsto attain economic "paradise" in their own generation. How impatient they are! And therein lies thecrux! They cry out: "We want a change; we wantthe change to take place now. Don't tell us to wait.Look at the Soviet Union !Thirty or forty years agoRussia was a poor, diseased, backward nation. Today, after one brief generation, despite a most devastating war, the Soviet Union has become the secondmost powerful nation in the world. If no one else willhelp us, the Soviet Union will! They desire to saveall nations from imperialism, from colonialism, frompoverty, from this horrible status-quo. They cry tous: "Come, follow! Workers of the world unite; youhave nothing to lose but your chains !"Have you ever pondered the impact the greathymns of Communism must make on those who hearthem for the first time? Stirring words for the disinherited !Arise, you prisoners of starvation!Arise you wretched of the earth,For justice thunders condemnationA better world's in birth.No more tradition's chains shall bind us,Arise, you slaves ; no more in thrall,The earth shall rise on new foundations,We have been nought, we shall be all!Now we Americans have a tendency to reply:"Of course ! Those poor people are deceived by Moscow. Its propaganda is just one terrible lie. It doesn'thave a class-less society. It really hasn't solved theCOVENANTER WITNESS