The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1923, Page 57

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Che Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBiisiep By THe EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN

SYNODICAL CONFERENCE OF

Nonrrit: AMERICA,

REV. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Published monthly by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo.

Entered as second-class matter at the

Subscription price, 50 ets, per annum, payable strictly In advance,
Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., 9.
Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for In section 1103, Act of October &, 1917, authorized on July 5,

under the Act of March 3, 187!
, 1918.

Vol. XLV.

ST. LOUIS, MO., AUGUST, 1923.

No. 8.

OUR MONTHLY MISSIONARY MOTTO.

Every church should try to support at least two pastors — one for the thousands
at home, the other for the millions abroad.

Not by Bread Alone.

There are two essential parts to every human
being, — the physical, which perishes, and the spir-
itual, which will never die, —and cach must have
its proper sustenance. God, in His loving-kindness,
has provided both, and Jesus tells us which is the
more important. He says, John 6, 27: “Labor not
for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat
which endureth unto everlasting life.” Spiritual
life and the food needed to sustain it should have
first place in our thought and plans for ourselves
and others. ‘Those who have fed upon the Bread
of Life and know the satisfaction which it gives
to the soul must feel compelled to obey Chr ist’s
command to “go tell” the hungry that there is soul-
food for them. God has opened wide the door for
us to bring this Gospel-message to the millions of
Negroes in our country by sending ministers and
teachers, by building churches and schools.

Our Church heard God’s call, assumed its re-
sponsibility in this mission-field, and organized its
Board of Missions, asking every church and every
organization in each church to contribute to this
cause. Churches and schools were established by
the board in many localities; the work which has
-been accomplished in the past forty-five years shows
tich fruitage. Thousands of Colored people have
been gained for Christ and our Church, and in
honesty, morality, purity-of life and home, in in-

sweet satisfaction it gives, —

telligence and thrift, the upward progress has béen
unmistakable. Yes, our Colored brethren and sis-
ters are steadily climbing and lifting as they climb.

To the Colored race of our country we owe
a debt equal to the opportunity offered to us. ‘The
Negroes have a double claim upon us. As physical
and social beings they need to be taught how to live
and how to make a living. They are eager to learn;
but their environment has been such that it will
require patience, faith, and years of training to lead
the whole race onward and upward. ‘They are like
little children in their eagerness and faith. Here
is an opportunity for us to do much. Let us put
away our prejudice and give this race the oppor-
tunity of growing upward.

However, the Negro, as a spiritual being, as the
possessor of an immortal soul, has a still greater
claim on us. As such he has a right to look to us
for the Bread of Life, which alone, as we very well
know, can satisfy the soul’s wants. . Shall he look
to us*in vain for this soul-food?- Shall we whose
souls have fed upon the Bread -of.Life since the
days. of our childhood, shall we who know what
shall we refuse to
bring to the soul-hungry Negro the Bread of Life?

‘Surely not; on the contrary, as God has given us
the means and as He is giving us the opportunity,

we shall gladly support the schools and churches

_under the care of our Mission Board and thus be

partners in this most blessed and wonderful work.
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