Our Appropriations to Board of Relief are $16,000 more than A letter from a colored man showing the result of his conversion. THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL..... A factor in solving the Immigrant Problem. TENDENCIES IN COLLEGE EDUCATION.... ... 141 152 I SUNDAY IN LOWER NEW YORK BY DR. EDWARD A. STEINER. This well-known teacher, writer of books, zealous pleader for the misunderstood immigrant, and large-hearted lover of men tells of a recent visit to Labor Temple, 14th Street and Second Avenue, New York. The work at the Temple is conducted under the direction of the Board's Department of Church and Labor, Rev. Charles Stelzle, Superintendent. Fuller information as to details of the work will be gladly supplied upon request, including copies of the weekly Bulletin published for the Temple. WAS visiting my friends on East 11th street. The tidy little parlor was crowded by visitors-old country friends,-shop mates, and the "steady company" of two of the growing girls. One of these was rather a stupid fellow whose horizon was bounded by the shop and by his "girl"; while the other-not quite so enamoured of either shop or girl-had a wider vision and knew what was going on in the settlements, the People's Institute, and tonight he and his girl were going to the Labor Temple. Of course I knew of this daring enterprise of the Presbyterian Home Mission Board, and this was my opportunity to see it in operation and also to watch its effect upon the young couple, who a regular corso. The sidewalks were crowded by thousands of such couples who used eagerly to seek the brilliantly lighted nickel shows and vaudeville theatres. Now, their field of vision Dr. Edward A. Steiner. though they were "steady company," were glad to take in the third one, who usually is supposed to make the crowd. East Fourteenth Street on Sunday night is was this Labor Temple, which spelt its name and mission into the night, and was bidding for their attendance upon its evening hour of worshi, It is safe to say that in but few churches in the world are so many Jews welcomed as there are here. Fifty per cent. of the attendseemed to keen-looking ance me young Jews, with here and there a Jewish matron with her children around her, bending over them, half apprehensive of some danger to their souls. The welcoming ushers, the choir and organ, with all the usual parapher nalia of the church, and the preliminary service were thoroughly Christian and Presbyterian. The prayer was full of the petitioning spirit in the name of the Master. In nothing that was said or done was there the least accommodation to the prejudices of the Jews or of the laboring men of other races who were present. The sermon might have been preached in any conservative Presbyterian pulpit; everything was thoroughly, soberly orthodox, and throughout the whole service my young couple were attentive and in a reverent mood. There were moving pictures after the services, but they were clean, wholesome and helpful, while all around there were picture shows which were the opposite. Why did these people come and stay-and come again? Why did my young people say, in their own way, "It was good for us to be there?" First of all, the spirit of the place. It is warmly hospitable and unrepellantly religious. Secondly, there is "something doing"; something worth going for every day in the week. The Labor Temple is an institution which tries to make every day a day of service; and a glance at the Bulletin reveals this constant helpful activity. There are thirty meetings a week. "You get something for going," the shrewd young Jew told me; and while he may never become a Christian, an hour spent under this hospitable roof, touching the men and women who give of their best, can not help revealing to him something of the spirit of the Christian Church. In fact, to thousands of young Jews this is the first disclosure of what the Church of Jesus Christ is like. If the Labor Temple does nothing more than this, it amply fulfills its mission. Thirdly, there is a tremendous hunger on the East Side for real religion. I doubt that anywhere in the whole world in a given space is there so much striving after the higher things as here, and nowhere else is it so hard to satisfy this hunger-which is real and not a mere longing for pastime or something which comes once a week as a habit. To even attempt to satisfy this hunger is a brave thing; to try to satisfy it with an unadulterated, uncompromising Christian religion is the most daring thing. If it succeeds, it will be a triumph of which the Presbyterian Church may be prouder than of maintaining its splendid houses of worship on Fifth Avenue, or building new ones among the attenuated few in the suburbs. The difficulties in the way are many. First, from its clientage-a restless, seething, hungry mass-to which conventional religion is a wornout, dead thing, and the Christian re ligion to many a hateful thing. To satisfy its craving and be loyal to fundamental truth will be a hard task, and if I did not know the spirit of its leader, I would say, a hopeless task. Secondly, from its supporters at large. To the average Christian Church, the work of the Labor Temple must look revolutionary. There they discuss social problems, read Shakespeare, have picture shows and what not. In fact, wherever I have praised the work of the Temple, I have had anxious brethren in the ministry whisper to me those cheap, hateful words: "It's a hotbed of socialism or anarchy"—"It's not religion they preach there but socialism""It cheapens the Gospel," etc. At such times I have come to the point of uncontrollable anger and only the grace of God has saved me from saying hard things. May I say calmly now: "Brethren, keep your hands off." Noble Christian men are staking their all upon the greatest venture the Church of Christ has yet undertaken in these perilous and yet glorious days-days which are full of hope and full of danger. The Gospel is being preached to the poor, to Jews and Gentiles; their souls, minds and bodies are being ministered unto; and if this which Charles Stelzle preaches is socialism or anarchy, then, subscribing to his creed, I am myself a socialist and anarchist, only I wish I had his talentthe brave courage, the sheer grit possessed by this man of God, who tries to realize, to actua!ize what he believes. I have known the East Side of New York for over a quarter of a century. The Labor Temple seems to me the first great attempt to project the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in a sane, rational way, among the masses. If it fails, it will fail because the Gospel is a "stumbling block unto the Jews"; it ought not to fail because of the criticism of Christian ministers who do not and can not understand the diffi-. culties of the situation. The Labor Temple Bulletin, which comes to my desk every week, is a correspondence course in modern, pastoral theology. The little pointed sermon which it brings weekly is a model in parabolic preaching-a tract for the times which, some day, will be called literature of a high class. My only regret is that I am fifteen hundred miles away from the Labor Temple, and can not have a hand in the struggle; but I can and do daily pray for its success. |