Biblical Journalism

Biblical Journalism BIBLICAL JOURNALISM.
By G. H. P. SHOWALTER. The Scriptural propriety of a gospel periodical is sel­dom called in question; hence in this field of service our efforts are seldom challenged. But though the Scriptural­ness of it is generally admitted, no line of work opens a field for greater opposition from those, who, in their re­ligious faith and practice are not in accord with us. It is true there have been those (and some of them men of abil­ity, too) who have gone so far as to assert that we have no Scriptural warrant for running a religious newspaper— because forsooth the apostles had none, living as they did before the printing press was invented. But this indicates only how men's minds will operate and how some of them fail to distinguish between a principle and the agency em­ployed in its application—between a requirement of heaven and the circumstances connected with obedience to it. The art of printing through its rapid multiplication of copies from a given form, offers facilities for greatly increasing the opportunity for disseminating thought expressed in words. And when we come to consider how greatly im­portant is the message we are striving to bring to the world—the message of life and salvation through the gos­pel of Christ—we should certainly summon every legiti­mate or Scriptural agency that is potential in its operation, that the work may be the more effectively, efficiently and quickly done.

Christ the Great Teacher. Jesus Christ was the incom­parably superior model and our great exemplar as a teacher. No one as a teacher can do better than to follow the example he has set. To study the simple manner of his discourse and his natural and easy approach in both public and private address will be worth vastly more to the teacher of today than all the great works on pedagogy that have flooded the world and that are now in the re­quired courses of the schools of education. The apostles were schooled under the great Master. Aside from the inspiration of the. I Inly Spirit by which their tongues and pens were directed, during the years of their ministry fol­lowing the ascension of our Lord, their style was doubtless favorably effected by their long schooling under Christ their great instructor. The former we can not possess, but the latter we may readily acquire by a serious, careful and earnest study of the manner of Christ the great teacher, as embodied in the Sacred Memoirs that have been preserved for us on the pages of inspiration. The teach­ers in this great institution of learning (Abilene Christian College) and the writers and public speakers everywhere who are striving to teach the doctrine of Christ would do well to take under consideration these fundamental facts and undeniable truths that they may make the most of their opportunity in the realm of religious instruction.

Three Great Agencies. To teach the doctrine of Christ we have at our command today three great and distinctive agencies—methods so to speak—by which we may make an approach to the minds and hearts of the people:
Popular Evangelism.
Our Bible Schools.
Gospel publications.

It may be that my terms are not the most appropriate. But by ''Popular Evangelism" I mean that work vari­ously styled "protracted meetings," "revival meetings," "mission meetings," etc. We have a large and influential class who are proclaiming the gospel in this way and who are teaching the people and leading them to obey the Lord. "Bible Schools," as conducted by loyal Christians, seek to magnify the Bible as the most important branch of study. Of these we have not too many. The ideal would be to have a Bible School under the direction of every local congregation, where their children and the chil­dren of others whom they might influence could learn the word of God from brethren who are loyal to Christ and are capable exponents of the word of righteousness, of truth, of salvation. We may have enough of the larger schools or colleges, enough institutions, at least, designed to provide "higher education." But I do not entertain so much satisfaction in regard to the provision that is being made for lower education. The Catholics are scrupulously careful to train the children while they are young, and tell us that if they can have the child till he is twelve years old, others may educate him then—he will always be a Catholic. And they usually are. But we have ver) nearly reversed this process. Where are the schools that are providing for the children under twelve years of age! We are usually content to have them schooled by most any institution that opens its doors till they are far beyond that age and then lament in later years because they do not share our conviction and faith in the God of the
Bible.
No one of these methods should be regarded as exclu­sive in the realm of our religious activities. We can not think of dispensing with our protracted meetings as a means or method of enlightening the people with reference to the saving truth of the gospel of Christ. We need every gospel preacher now in the field. There is abundant work for all of them. We need others; those now engaged are not sufficient for the tasks before us in the work of soul saving. And this leads to the necessity of Christian colleges and Bible schools. These institutions of learning are intended to prepare young people for useful Christian lives whatever may be their avocation in this life. They encourage young men to go out in the field and spend their time in the vineyard of the Lord. I can think of no more important work than that of a really Christian teacher. But now for the Biblical periodicals; I am expected to deal briefly with that subject in this address.

It is a day of periodical literature. If a man is a lawyer he reads the Court Reporter and such other papers and journals as relate to his profession. He becomes ef­ficient by an attention to what is being published for his information and instruction in legal affairs. What kind of a lawyer would he be who takes no paper, journal or magazine, in the interests of the legal profession? And the physician takes the medical journal and he pays for it, and reads it, too. It becomes a necessity to him in his profession. He could not keep posted without it, and would be an unsafe man to whom we could intrust the lives and health of the members of our families. Then we have the mechanical journals, the scientific journals, the farm journals, the labor journals, the political paper:-;; we have the daily papers to keep us posted about what is going on in the world. How many homes are now without the daily paper? How many would really want to get along without it? What would you think of a school teacher who does not take and read some school journal? Now, if the reading of this varied periodical literature is needful to success in law, medicine, pedagogy; in science, labor, politics, and the common affairs of every-day life, let us not rashly conclude that the Christian needs no Christian paper in his home. It is rather difficult to see how a Christian can live up to his opportunities and not take a good religious paper. The Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterians and all the great religious denomination; have their weekly and monthly papers and magazines to en­lighten their people and to teach others, to define and de­fend their peculiar and respective contentions and claims. I fancy the Mormons would long ago have disappeared a body of religious people were it not for their publications. They are strong along the line of papers, tracts and leaf­lets. They recognize the power, and we might say, the necessity of the printed page, in the day in which we live, as a means of extending and perpetuating their peculiar dogmata.

Now I can hardly see how a loyal Christian can really expect to live as he ought to live in the day in which we are trying to live and not have in his home a good gospel paper as a regular visitor. When there were no automo­biles, nobody else had them, and we got along very well without them. But since everybody else now has them wre have to have them also—we could not keep up without them—we go and buy them. If there were no locomotives and railroads we could do well enough to ride horseback or go in a wagon. We could reach our destination in due time—the others would not be going any faster and we would be on time. But in an age of railroads we must use them if we would do well what we undertake to perform, where transportation or travel are involved. If a repre­sentative from Alaska should decline modern modes of travel and determine to go up to congress on horseback or muleback across Canada and the United States, to Wash­ington, the session would close before he reached the place. As a gospel people we have, and must have, and should have, gospel papers. We should make them as good as is possible, and use them to the very best advantage for the cause of Christ. We should sustain them, support them and give them the great circulation that their power and influence abundantly justify. We must recognise that, as the man riding a mule can not compete in point of speed with his friend who rides a motor car and will always lose everything because he is not there on time, even so we will fail of success in the gospel of Christ in this day of propa­ganda literature if we fail to make use of it and to make the most of it.

Papers are like schools. Not all of them are beyond the point where improvement is possible. Most of them are sharply below this point, and no more important work could be clone or attempted than that of instituting those improvements in our periodical literature that are needed and that will contribute to the accomplishment of that high purpose that must control those who are promoting this line of work.

Two things are important: 1.The character of the gospel paper. 2. The attitude of the brotherhood to the paper. What then must be the character of the gospel pe­riodical? That it must be of an order that best serves the interest of the cause of the Master is of first import­ance. For whatever may be the subsidiary motives for publishing a gospel paper, the primary purpose must be the glory of God through Christ in the salvation of the lost, through the proclamation of the gospel. A paper must have an editor and other writers. The policy of the paper depends directly on the managing editor. He must know what are the things essential for its success, and must understand how to put them into appli­cation. It is no small service to be a writer of influence, and this is of sufficient interest and importance to call for much care and study in the preparation of essays seeking publicity in the columns of a widely distributed gospel journal. The eyes of many thousand people fall upon the printed page of such a paper and the impressions made are deep and lasting. To those upon whom fall the responsi­bilities of the publication and distribution of gospel litera­ture some special considerations for the editor are of vital significance and importance. I will mention some of these:

Work heartily.
Remember it is the Lord's work—not ours.
Be willing to learn. Receive and consider sugges­tions (plenty of them will be offered) make the most of them, and then act in line with that wisdom which is from above.
Consider the spiritual needs and interests of the many who are being reached through the medium which you control. Consider the value of each soul, of every life.
Exercise the love, patience and forbearance of Christ. The meekness and gentleness of our Lord are binding upon all his professed followers, but they are never more in place than in the editor's study as he re­ceives and examines the thousands of letters from his in­terested and interesting readers.
Learn what ought to go into the paper to make it most useful and helpful to all who read. This is not a small task—not by any means. There are many people and many needs. A paper should contain more than one sub­ject. One-ideaism or "hobbyism" has ruined many jour­nals. Do not decide that the brethren require only one subject considered, and that only one particular point (whether right or wrong) is all that is necessary for sal­vation. Men may be right on one point and wrong on
many others. Animals require a balanced ration and so do Christians.
Learn what ought to be kept out of the paper. This is most important. There ought to be a big waste basket in the editor's office. There will be plenty to fill it if judiciously handled. The judicious handling of much matter intended for the paper is to see that it reaches the waste basket.
There should be a full and hearty co-operation with others engaged in the same work. Christian colleges and schools should have a common sympathy, because they have a common cause. And so with gospel papers, and, in fact, with all gospel work. The next matter of importance is the attitude of the brotherhood toward the gospel periodical. A paper may be never so good, yet it would accomplish nothing if it were not read. The paper's influence may be greatly cir­cumscribed by a non-responsive, careless people who are supposed to be its friends. What can you do then, what can we all do, that the gospel paper may indeed be a me­dium for the accomplishment of the greatest possible good for man and of glory to God our heavenly Father? We can all do something.

Write the editor and criticise or commend him as may seem good. If he makes mistakes tell him in the spirit of Christ. Let him know if the paper is helping you and your friends in living the Christian life. Tell him of some good which you know the paper has done. Encour­age him, admonish him, exhort him. He is just a human and enjoys good letters.
Take the paper. It is due your family, yourself and your friends who visit in your home that a good gospel paper he found there. The greater the number of sub­scribers the larger the field of influence of course.
Solicit other subscribers. This is one of the many ways in which we may become the means of leading some soul to Christ. Many a person has learned the truth from the gospel paper, and many a Christian has been kept in the narrow way by the action of a brother who leads him to subscribe for the paper.
Pay for it. Loyalty calls for strict honesty and promptness in all that is right and it is right to pay your subscription and to pay it promptly. Many a paper has been seriously hindered in its usefulness by delinquent sub­scribers.
Read it. Yes. read the paper. Do not become too busy to do this. Keep posted on what the brethren are doing.
Donate the paper to others. Is there some widow, seme poor brother, some afflicted sister or brother? Make their long hours brighter and their lives happier. There are several ways to do this and none perhaps more effectual than to send them a good gospel paper.
Give the paper your moral support. Stand by the brethren who are in the paper business and encourage them. Speak well of the work when it seems to merit commendation.
Buy the paper in large quantities and give it free distribution in your town or city. It is seldom that a real gospel paper is published one week that it does not contain, in some form, the gospel plan of salvation. Many persons have had their eyes opened to the truth through (he reading of one copy of a good gospel paper. And now, may we all realize our responsibilities and the solemn obligations which we owe to one another and to God. Much has been committed to us and of us much is expected. Every agency for the accomplishment of the Lord's work must be brought into action. Life's sun will no! always stand at its zenith. The long, deepening shadows of the closing day will soon remind us that the toils and labors, and sighs and sorrows, of this mundane state have closed forever, and we must pass from earth into the great eternity beyond. May we be faithful to the vows we have taken as sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, and stand with the redeemed on the deathless shore, where sickness and sighing and sorrow are unknown; where wounded spirits are all healed; where broken, aching hearts are bound up; where tears never come and joys never end.