Spencer Heath Archive

Item 959

October 27, 1935

Original -> 947

Graduate Group Riverside Church, Dr. Limbert, leader.

Topic:  God and Evil — and Conflict.

My usual dissent, somewhat as follows:

     The essential being and attribute of God is creativeness. Creativeness is growth, organization, new relationships coming into being. Growth is not conflict; it is the opposite from conflict. Conflict is dis-organization.

     When Peter drew the sword of conflict, Christ rebuked him. The sword that Christ brought was (as every scholar knows) the sword of separation — separation from conflict. He grew in stature and he grew in wisdom, of the divine creativeness, but he never did become a “fust-class fightin’ man.” His kingdom of God was to come not through conflict but through service. He would become great who would serve many, and greatest who would serve all.

    When the so-called Christian Church — the Church Militant — grew into the garments of the Empire, took the scepter of the Caesars in its hand and spread conflict throughout the world, it rightly held aloft and wore upon its brow, not the sign of the Christ, but the sign of the cross on which he died — the symbol of destruction, symbol of its continuing crucifixion of his Spirit by perpetual conflict.

    Must the Church — those who profess the Christ — now again wage holy war against social evil — in the name of Christ?!!