“A Sobering Situation” Emphasized by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 26, 1915

“A Sobering Situation” Emphasized

By F. M. W.

THREE months ago there appeared in these columns an article under the above-quoted heading. At that time we said, “If there ever occurred in the history of mankind a situation to cause sober thought and serious reflection, it is the one presented before us today.” Our words were true then, and they are even more strikingly true at the present time; for during the last three months the world has been enduring a situation which grows more terrible with the passing of every day and hour.

The Harvest of Death

The great war, the like of which was never seen among the nations of men, involving directly the most stable governments of the Old World, and indirectly and in some manner every nation under heaven, is being carried forward with relentless fury and unceasing energy. This war of wanton destruction has cost the nations more than fifteen billion dollars — as much as all the wars which have darkened the pages of history. It is estimated by the New York Independent, which has made up its figures from official statistics and the estimates of the Red Cross and other relief organizations, that nearly ten million men have been killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. Thousands upon thousands of homes have been desolated.

Dr. John R. Mott, of missionary fame, reports that during eight days of one engagement one nation alone sent to the rear three thousand railroad cars loaded with wounded men. He says that thirty-one relatives of a friend in Europe enlisted in the war. Of these nine had been killed or seriously wounded. This is doubtless a fair illustration of the fatalities which have occurred in many family groups represented in this terrible conflict. In those homes where the family circle remains unbroken, there is only anxious concern over those who have gone to the front, and whose lives are in constant peril.

A Cross of Suffering

And those who fall in the conflict constitute some of the best blood of the Old World nations. Dr. Mott states that one half of the students of the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, and McGill University in Canada volunteered for service. In England fifty-six per cent of the students volunteered, and ninety per cent of the officers of the Y. M. C. A. Thousands of German, French, Russian, and Italian students have done the same. Upon the civilian population untold suffering has been entailed. Tens of thousands have been driven from their homes as wandering refugees. Cities have been desolated; large, fruitful areas of country have been turned into desolate fields; the churches, libraries, and noted works of art have gone down before the onsweep of mighty forces. Schoolhouses, theaters, and public buildings of all sorts have become improvised hospitals for the care of the wounded. Words are powerless to describe the sorrow and suffering, wreck and ruin, which have been wrought by the twelve months of bloody conflict. Europe has been crucified on a cross of steel.

And the end is not yet. If possible, the contestants seem even more determined. Where it will all end and when it will end, and how differences will be adjusted, only the great Ruler of the universe knows.

Danger of Deadening Sensibilities

The international situation is so momentous and all-absorbing that we pass

by with but a moment’s consideration itself some of the lesser but significant conditions of distress and disaster which are daily occurring. The sensibilities are becoming deadened. The sinking of the “Lusitania” sent a thrill of horror through many hearts, but that is only one incident in the great struggle. Every day the battle front witnesses the snuffing out of many more lives than went down on the “Lusitania.” The overturning of the “Eastland” in Chicago sent into a watery grave more than a thousand human beings, spreading a pall of gloom over that great Western city. And the horror of it still lives in the memory of those who witnessed the death struggle, and of those who were bereft of friends and kindred. But with the great multitude it was a mere incident compared with the greater and more terrible situation existing in Europe. We are told that floods in China a few days ago sent to premature death more than a hundred thousand persons, producing famine conditions which are entailing much suffering on many thousands more. Ordinarily this would have been looked upon as a great disaster; but how insignificant it appears compared with the greater things which are taking place before us!

The situation in Mexico, taken by itself, without the grave international complications, would command the attention of the world; but it is of little interest to those not directly concerned in the outcome of affairs in that unhappy republic.

The Lesson of the Hour

Surely we have fallen upon evil times. And we know not what a day may bring forth in the history of mankind or in our own personal experience. These conditions constitute the call of Heaven to the children of men. We should read in them the ominous signs of the times. We should be admonished by them to a new consecration of heart to the only One who can keep us amid the perils of these last days.

In the war zones of Europe every man is supposed to take his stand on the issues involved. Among its citizens no country can afford to recognize neutrals. The man who does not stand actively in sympathy with the position taken by the government under which he lives is supposed to be opposed to the objects of that government, and is treated as an enemy.

No Neutrals in Christian Warfare

A crisis has come not only in the affairs of nations, but in the affairs of men and individuals. The church of God today is passing through a great crisis. As never before, it is being subjected to the testing process. God calls upon every one of his children in this crisis to take his stand resolutely and unfalteringly upon the side of God. The controversy of the ages, which began in heaven itself, is to be fought out here on this earth in our day. Whether we would or not, we are participants in this controversy. We cannot escape responsibility. We cannot stand aloof and proclaim our neutrality, as we can in the great international conflict now going forward. The man who is not actively enrolled under the banner of Prince Immanuel is counted by Heaven as belonging to the powers of darkness. Where do you stand in this conflict?

When a crisis arose in the church in the days of Moses, the Lord required an alignment of Israel. “Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me.” The circumstances and conditions we face today bring this same question to every reader of this paper. Are we God’s men and women, or are we Satan’s? Have we enlisted whole-heartedly in God’s work, and are we bending every energy to promote the interests of his kingdom, or are we listless and indifferent? If men today are willing to sacrifice for their country, if they will forsake home and friends and pleasant surroundings and go to the trenches and under circumstances of the greatest distress and suffering live and labor and fight and die for the sake of a worldly cause and of a worldly sovereign, what should be expected of the soldiers of Jesus Christ?

On Whose Side Do You Stand?

In this conflict between truth and error we know positively on which side victory will turn. We cannot marvel that the small states of Europe hesitate about casting their lot on one side or the other of the present conflict. They know not which will be the gainers or the losers. They fear their decision may place them on the losing side, and that in the final settlement they may be entirely swallowed up. No such contingencies exist in the Christian warfare. We know that truth will triumph. We know that victory will turn on the side of Israel and Israel’s God. We know that Satan and all his host will be cast into the lake of fire and forever destroyed. Surely we shall be left without excuse in the last great day if we fail to take our stand resolutely and fearlessly on the side of God and right.

The situation before us should bring to every one soberness of thought. How can we go on lightly and indifferently when the whole world, comparatively, is in a death struggle and tens of thousands are in heartbroken mourning? In that terrible condition we should read the signs of the times, the omens of the end of all things. And while there is still granted us a period of probation, we should make the most of our opportunities by placing ourselves in that relationship to God where there will be no question regarding our loyalty to his service. On whose side do you stand? Under whose banner are you enrolled?

F. M. W.