p. 6 | What Must We Do Then? by E. A. Sutherland

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 17, 1902

What Must We Do Then?

By E. A. Sutherland

God, in meting out blessings to humanity, shows no partiality. He sends rain alike to the rich and the poor; his sun shines just as freely on the villain as on the pious man, and the man who plants reaps as he has sown, whether he be a Christian or a heathen. And so it is in the blessing of an education. God has provided as well for one child as for another. Education is spiritual and mental food, and this food is offered freely to all who will partake. The message given by angels is, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye”! And the promise reads, “Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Man alone is the originator of monopolies. God has nothing whatever to do with them. Perfect equality is a fundamental principle underlying all dealings of God with man. And so when it comes to a monopoly in education, it is not the fault of the system, nor of the Author of that system; the fault lies alone at the doors of the human agents.

When, therefore, we find among us, in the very bosom of the church, children and youth who are literally starving, it is unjust to attribute the spiritual death to Providence. The guilt of murder lies at somebody’s door; and it is well for us to find out, ere the death rate increases, who is responsible for the loss of our children and youth.

Do you believe the statement that “Jerusalem was destroyed because the education of the children was neglected”? Then you must believe that the church to-day is weak, and daily growing weaker, because its children have not been educated for Christian work.

If it was true in the days of Hebrew glory that “a town in which there is no school must perish,” then what must be the fate of the Christian church which turns its children and youth into the hands of the state for their training?

The present condition of failure—a steady and accelerating flow of life-blood from the church toward the world—is manifest to all. What must we do, then?

If a man has indigestion, a certain class of physicians administer drugs which temporarily relieve the situation, but they allow the man to continue his manner of life, regardless of his violations of nature’s laws. Another physician brings health, and happiness, and a new lease of life to the dyspeptic, by regulating his diet in harmony with physiological laws. In case of spiritual disease, these two methods of treatment are before us. Shall we attempt to increase our strength by alone bringing new converts into the church, or shall we save the children born into the church, and let them devote their lives to the evangelization of the world? In the end which will prove the wiser course?

This is not a thing to be lightly dealt with. The case is critical. A few more years, and the boys and girls of to-day will be beyond our reach. What is done must be done quickly. We do not lack instruction. The case has been diagnosed by the Great Physician. He says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” We send our children to the Sabbath school that they may be instructed in regard to the truth, and then as they go to the day school, lessons containing falsehood are given them to learn. These things confuse the mind, and should not be.

Then the Lord gives the proper course to pursue in order to restore health: “The work that lies nearest to our church members is to become interested in our youth.” “The lambs of the flock must be fed.”

“Wherever there are a few Sabbath keepers, the parents should unite in providing a place for a day school where their children and youth can be instructed. They should employ a Christian teacher, who, as a consecrated missionary, shall educate the children in such a way as to lead them to become missionaries.”

“Shall members of the church give means to advance the cause of Christ among others, and then let their own children carry on the work and service of Satan?” It is time that we ask ourselves, one another, and the Lord, the question which heads this article—What must we do then?

Establish Christian schools for all the children. The way to begin is this: Search out from your own membership, if possible, one or more persons who have ability to teach. Insist that such persons take the necessary preparation. Let the church assist worthy persons in obtaining this training.

The General Conference, the Lake Union Conference, and Emmanuel Missionary College are joining their forces to place a training within reach of every person who desires it. Why should not the churches help? Some conferences are also helping Christian teachers by paying their railroad fare to the summer school. It would seem that all forces are uniting this season to train teachers for our children. If every church, every home, every individual, will join this crusade for the salvation of children and youth, the result will be not only the salvation of the children, but the evangelization of the world and the hastening of Christ’s coming.

Not only ask the question, What must we do then? but let every man say to his neighbor, Let us work while it is called To-day.

E. A. SUTHERLAND.