Our Foreign Problem at Home by O. A. OLSEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 7, 1912

Our Foreign Problem at Home

By O. A. OLSEN

That we have a problem on our hands, none who understand the situation will question. With a foreign population composed of peoples from all nations and languages in the world equal to about one third of our entire population, and with the stream of foreigners pouring into our country at the rate of a million (more or less) every year, we can not wonder that both the state and the church feel much concerned as to what will be the result of all this on our social, civil, and religious relations. While we can not but be interested in the question from both a social and a civil standpoint, still the overwhelming question with us must be, How can we bring them the saving truth of the gospel of Christ?

Now is the time when a special proclamation of the gospel is to go to all the world, to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and a great interest is shown in foreign mission enterprises. During the past quarter of a century funds have been raised and missionaries have gone forth to all the leading nations of the world, and the blessing of the Lord has attended the efforts in a very marked manner.

During the same period of time the immigration, which at first was small and of little consequence, has increased by leaps and bounds. The largest number coming in any one year was 1,258,349. This was in 1907.

The coming of these millions of immigrants to this country has brought a large foreign mission field to our very doors, still it seems to be very difficult for us to understand this fully. That there is a divine providence in this with a very important meaning must be evident to all.

With reference to our duty to bring the message of salvation to far-away nations, there is no question. We all accept that responsibility, and cheerfully give our money, and with Christian willingness give our sons and daughters for the great mission fields afar, where many

of them suffer much privation and endure many hardships for the sake of bringing the message of salvation to these people, learn difficult languages, and with marvelous fortitude labor courageously for the salvation of these souls.

But when it comes to take up work for these same people at home, right close to our own doors, quite a different attitude is taken. Here we meet an astonishing indifference, bordering on aversion. Certainly this is not right. If it is worth our while to send missionaries to far-away lands at great sacrifice, is it not an equally important duty to set apart missionaries to labor for these same people right here in America? All must admit that it is. This is a matter that must receive our immediate attention. We must no longer pass it by with the indifference manifest in the past.

But the questions will arise, What can we do? How shall we go to work? To this we answer, Do the same for the foreigner near by that has been done many times over for the foreigner afar. For foreign missions you select the best men and women, those best qualified and fitted by education and otherwise, and appoint them to mission fields where they are to learn the language and then work for these souls. Now why not do the same for these same nationalities who as foreigners have come to this country? Are they less worthy of the truth because they are in this country and not in Europe or Asia or some other land?

It must be evident to every careful student of the immigration question that as a people we have a very special responsibility resting on us in this matter, and that it is high time that we awake to its importance. We must not think that because these people have come to this country, they can be reached by the truth in the same way that we reach the English-speaking people. There must be made an effort adapted to their condition. That is what we have found in our foreign mission work, and the same will be the case here.

But how shall we go at it? some one will ask. Go to work among these foreigners just as you would if you were sent to Italy or Hungary or China or India,—get in among them; get acquainted; get some one who can speak the language to go with you to act as interpreter. This can usually be done. If you find some one in need or suffering, do what you can to give relief. Take with you appropriate literature to sell, to lend, or to give away as the case may be. Study the environment, and make yourself acquainted with the peculiarities of these people, so that you may find the best way to reach them. At the same time that you are working in this way, take up a study of the language. While you can do something through an interpreter, you can do much more when you begin to understand and speak even a little of their language. Starting in this way, you will soon find your hands full of work, and openings more than you can fill.

The most important feature as to fitness for this class of missionary work is a heart overflowing with love, a real, genuine passion for souls, and a power of adaptation to meet the various conditions of these people. Such a worker will not fail of success; and until this work is taken hold of in this manner, we shall not see the success that we should so much like to see.

There are other lines of work that can be taken up with success which will be considered at another time. We earnestly plead for a prayerful consideration of this very important question, for it must be evident to all that we can not continue our present attitude of inactivity, but must take hold in earnest to study the situation, and to enter upon an active campaign to bring the message of salvation to these millions of foreigners in our country.

O. A. OLSEN.