"What's The News?"

Upon the day of my arrival in Japan, at the Port of Kobe, I was much impressed on witnessing an incident which I subsequently observed is a regular custom in Japan. I refer to the custom for news of special importance to be announced by the issue of a special slip of paper delivered by newspaper runners. The "extra" news is printed plainly on this small sheet of paper in Japanese characters. I observed that the runners with these "extra" news items were athletic young men, dressed usually in the picturesque and coloured costumes worn so much in Japan. These young men have a string of bells around their waists, or sometimes this string of bells is carried in one hand. As they run-and they always run with these "extra" news items-the bells give out the warning sound. Above all the din of heavy traffic there is positively no mistaking the clear sound of the trained athletic news-boys, rushing through the streets with the important special news. Just now, with so much of great moment happening in connection with Japan, and with the great economic struggle which the whole world is experiencing, the readers of the regular newspapers eagerly rush to their doors or towards the special runners to grasp their interim news item. Many, perhaps, are the thoughts which crowd into the mind before the paper-slip is received-what is the news this time? What has happened? Is it something which will affect my hard-earned savings? How will it affect me? Such may be some of the thoughts which crowd into the mind when the familiar sound of the clanging bells announce that something of public importance has taken, or is taking, place.

There is no question that these Japanese news runners do run; they tarry not; they are eager to make known the message which they are entrusted with. They rush into the shops if no one comes to the door, and they rush out. In Tokio I saw a policeman standing on duty in a street, with sword in sheath at his side, and, when one of the runners was announced by the sound of the bells, the policeman immediately ran in the way to intercept the runner and receive the item of special news.

As I contemplated this custom I could not help thinking of the" special "item of news of public and world-wide importance Which the Christian has to make known to all men. What is the message which we, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have to announce? Is it really . urgent? Yes, fellow-worker unto the Kingdom of God, the King's business requireth haste (see 1 Samuel 21. 8). We have been entrusted with the message of the Gospel, the glad tidings which already hath made us free for time and for eternity. Shall we delay in the sounding out individually and collectively the Word of Life? In 1 Thessalonians 1. 8, we have a three-fold testimony from Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy concerning the saints in Thessalonica to the effect that "in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth." I have mentioned that the heralds of the news slips were athletic runners, unencumbered with heavy clothes, i.e., weights-see 1 Corinthians 9. verses 24 to 27; 2 Timothy 2. verse 4; Hebrews 12. verse 1. Associated with our message of the story of the Cross, is the "interim " news that, before those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ are finally cast into the lake of fire, with the devil who deceived them, our Lord will Himself come to the air and shout with triumphant voice to call His own-the Church, His Body-unto Himself; thus to take all the redeemed out of this scene of earth. Many do not know that our Lord's coming draweth nigh. Have we been shouting out as we should have done, "Maranatha," with a strength and faith unfailing? In 1 Corinthians 14. we get a warning from the Apostle Paul to give a clear ringing sound with the message that we are charged to give; yea, and to give freely and fully to the people with whom we come in contact. "For we are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, in them that are being saved, and in them that are perishing; to the one a savour from death unto death; to the other a savour from life unto life." See also 2 Corinthians 4. verses 1 to 18. As we run we shall be laughed at and perhaps even called mad, as was the beloved Apostle by Festus in Acts 26. verse 24 (which see.) Oh, let us pray fervently that we may seek to fulfil the experience which is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 1. verse 3, then shall we indeed be counted worthy of our calling; and our lives under the leading of the Holy Spirit, will witness to this guilty world the truth of Hebrews 4. 12.

unknown | Feb 1933
General