GOOD FOR EDITOR LEMMONS!

We wish to commend Reuel Lemmons, editor of Firm Foundation, for urging all of us to realize that we must do something about our divided state of affairs. Writing under the caption “Something Should Be Done,” he points our that we have talked a lot about unity all these years, bur that we haven’t done much about it.

It would be well if his editorial could be read far and wide, for it indulges in what few of us have learned to take—self-criticism. A people who are known to be so critical of others do well to criticize themselves. Among other things our brother editor says:

No religious group in the world’s history has preached any more unity upon the Bible than have the churches of Christ In striking contract to the preaching we do is the disunity we practice. Something should be done about it. Talk of the beauty and pleasantness of dwelling together in unity will never take the place of concrete steps to effect its reality.

Unless concrete efforts are made, while the climate is presently friendly, brethren may lose hope of ever attaining the unity for which Jesus so earnestly prayed. Nothing could be more disastrous to a central and vital part of the Christian faith.

Our practice belies our preaching until it isn’t a thing of wonder that what we do speaks so loudly folks can’t hear what we say.

There must be in all hearts a consciousness that somewhere apostasy is involved, not only in whatever division there may be in the entire “Christian world,” but more specifically in the various movements within the restoration movement.

One reader of the Firm Foundation got so excited over this editorial from brother Lemmons that he tore it out and sent it to me, supposing that I might not see it, though I already had, and he wrote across the top of the page in red ink: Is it the end of the world? I took that to mean that he was seeing such unusual material in a Church of Christ journal that it might well mean that the end of time is upon us! That he is of Christian Church background, even though his family has subscribed to the Firm Foundation for 55 years, may help to explain his surprise and elation.

And so might we all rejoice that one of Reuel Lemmons’ stature is speaking forthrightly about our need to do something concrete for the cause of unity. While he does not in this editorial make any suggestions for concrete efforts, we may be hopeful that such will be forthcoming.

A number of us whom Reuel Lemmons calls brother have attempted several concrete measures for the cause of unity, including the publication of journals dedicated to this task and the conducting of unity meetings that have brought together the divided brotherhood that we refer to as the Restoration Movement. But there might be a better way that will be more concrete and more effective. We stand ready to cooperate in anything brother Lemmons suggests.

The affair to be conducted at Bethany July 2-4 appears to us to hold great promise for good, and it seems to have the kind of substance brother Lemmons is looking for. It is to be conducted in the very village that gave our Movement its impetus, thus providing historical inspiration for efforts toward oneness. The issues that divide our disciple brotherhood are to be discussed, with no limitations placed on anyone, except the law of love. Representative men from all our major groups are to serve on the program. Our divided people will sing, pray, study and dine together-and in the very hills that gave birth to the Restoration Movement as we know it! We are to have dinner-on-the-ground in Alexander Campbell’s front yard, and together we’ll visit the sites made famous by Restoration history. Amidst all this there will be several panels made up of men from the Church of Christ, Christian Church, and Disciples of Christ discussing the problems that we face in uniting our people.

Surely one who writes as brother Lemmons does will get excited over such concrete efforts as will take place at Bethany. If an effort such as this does not deserve our wholehearted support, then we are at a loss to imagine what it would take to merit commendation. We are hopeful, therefore, that the Firm Foundation, as well as all of our publications, will push the Bethany unity meeting with vigor. It is appropriate that such a meeting would be in honor of Alexander Campbell, who passed away a century ago this year, for he was one of the first voices to be heard in behalf of Christian unity. It is fitting that the heirs of his labors, shamefully divided as they are, should make a noble effort to solve the problem of their own divisions.

We especially appreciate brother Lemmons’ point that “somewhere apostasy is involved,” and to suggest that it might be with us as well as with others. If we go to Bethany, or to any confrontation with those that are separated from us, with the attitude that we too have something to learn, that we too may be wrong, that we too have contributed to the divided state of affairs, then we may be in a position to influence others with what truth we do have.

Let us here urge all who will to come to Bethany and join in this unity effort. If you have always wanted to visit the cradle of the Restoration Movement, there will never be a better time. The affair begins Friday evening, July 1 and continues till the afternoon of Monday, July 4. You may have room and board on the college campus for $10.00 a day, half price for children. Write to Farrell Walters, Bethany, West Virginia 26022 for reservations and further information.

And will all our brotherhood journals and church bulletins please run announcements of this important meeting.