union avenue christian church |
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Building a Lasting Peace Dr. Adams preached many sermons on subjects relating to war and peace. His counsel to his congregation helped to alleviate some of the anxiety being felt by a community of faith that watched as more than 300 of its young men and women went off to serve (a brass “Honor Roll” listing all who served is displayed in the Union Avenue narthex). A collection of 10 of his sermons were compiled and published in 1943 as “Christian Answers to War Questions.” The 10 questions Dr. Adams responds to are: Is God in the war? Can justice and Christian love be reconciled? Can we be without sin in this sinful world? Can we equate the Kingdom of God and our democracy? Can the hearts of parents and children be turned toward each other? What does Christian education teach? Is there any inspiration in the Church? and Can Christianity master pessimism? In yet another twist of fate, the book was released by its publisher, Fleming H. Revell Company of New York, on February 24, 1943, the very same day that young Harry Baker Adams, who had been a student at Yale University, was inducted into the army air corps at Hartford Connecticut. The editors of Our Church had this to say about the book: “In a book of less than one hundred pages Dr. Adams has in a concise, straightforward, and fearless manner dealt with war questions. One does not finish reading this book without the feeling that the writer has written with deep conviction after much study, thought, and prayer.” Do the questions and answers ring true for today’s conflicts around the globe? That’s a matter of personal opinion. But Dr. Adams had this to say about its timelessness: “A friend who has given a sympathetic reading to the manuscript said that he wondered how we might feel in five or ten years after the war is over if we were to re-read these chapters and find that our thought had radically changed. Our response to that rather disturbing remark was that it is cowardly to be silent about your convictions today for fear of having to admit you were wrong tomorrow. If these covers should be opened after this holocaust has passed from the earth and after the books on “Now It Can Be Told” have given to us facts that are now withheld, this statement will still have importance to the writer himself as what he believed when the war was raging.” Perhaps a more pertinent question is, “have we learned anything about building a lasting peace?” Sunday morning worship @ 10:45 a.m. • Christian Education for all ages @ 9:30 a.m. |
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