Bayard Taylor expresses the peculiar genius of America in his national ode:
From the homes of all, where her being began
She took what she gave to man.
Justice, that knew no station,
Belief as soul decreed,
Free air for aspiration,
Free force for independent deed.
She takes but to give again
As the sea returns the rivers in rain
And gathers the chosen of her seed
From the hunted of every crown and creed.
In one strong race all races here unite.
Tongues meet in hers, hereditary foemen
Forget their sword and slogan, kith and clan.
'Twas glory, once, to be a Roman:
She makes it glory, now, to be a man!
Our ideal for America is summed up in this—that it may increasingly become the kingdom of God. What do we mean by "kingdom"? St Paul says "the kingdom is righteousness and peace and joy" which being interpreted might read, the kingdom—Christ's rule on earth—will bring to all the Father's children the opportunity of knowing Him and His saving love expressed through Jesus Christ; it will mean the transforming of human society so that ignorance, greed, disease and injustice shall be overthrown; so that "the bitter cry of the children" shall no longer be drowned by the whir of the wheels of industry; so that the sisterhood of women shall be established and that through the dominance of righteousness men shall cease to invoke war and strife, and, released from crushing burdens, into life and labor shall come joy and an increasing sense of spiritual values.
Another source of power is to know the factors that enter into our problem and the facts of our undertaking. That we may intelligently synthesize the influences that bear powerfully upon the church as it seeks to meet its present day task, apprehend the effect of these influences upon the religious ideals and thought of our young people, and realize the atmosphere which Home Missions must permeate with its saving faith, we must take account of the moulding thought-life of our day.
It is always difficult to separate the apparent from the underlying and more subtle causes and influences. Within the outer and more obvious is usually hidden an inner current of thought and movement that must be sought and realized in order that the whole content may be obtained. Until quite recently—and we are still feeling its effects—the tendency of our time strongly emphasized material accomplishments. The world has been "intently and almost exclusively occupied with subduing natural forces and material matter to humanity's growing physical and mental needs." Thus have been given us the wonders of scientific triumph which make possible the civilization of our day.
In America, especially, material development has appeared to receive an exalted value and place. We have become familiar with the charge made against us by Europe of being a nation of materialists.
The transforming of a continent from a wilderness to a land of homes and highly organized industry in the brief space of three centuries; the marvelous and rapid development of the vast material resources of our land; the hastening here of eager recruits from other lands, passionately seeking and needing material betterment, have magnified in this country the feverish acquisition of material wealth and accentuated the hard, calculating business spirit; and has seemed to place undue value upon the worth of material success and the things of which it is made.
John Burroughs from his quiet vantage point of observation says—"The present civilization arms us with the forces of earth, air and water, while it weakens our hold upon the sources of personal power.