The peace of God lies within you

When the Saviour of mankind appeared upon this earth the world was at peace. The nations of the then known world lived under the benevolent rule of Rome. In the year of our Lord's birth, such was the climate of peace that Caesar Augustus deemed the time ripe for the taking of the census in his far-flung empire. Society at that time surely suffered under many grave faults and evils, but it enjoyed peace and men went about their daily occupations in the security of Rome's might and Rome's laws.

Were the Lord Jesus to be reborn into this world, a tiny babe, how different an atmosphere would greet his appearance. No peace, but nations trembling on the brink of a holocaust which could annihilate our society. No reign of charity or mutual understanding, but an entire world divided into two warring camps which leave to no people the luxury of neutrality.

The pessimist would say that Christ's mission on earth had been in vain. That Christianity had failed. That mankind's situation was not better than before Christ's coming, but worse. And yet the simple truth is that for millions of souls living in the seeming twilight of Western civilization, Christ and Christ's message is the only hope, the only consolation, the only strength, the only salvation. And if the world is being led into the pit of self-destruction it is only because they who lead and have lead, have blinded their eyes to the Light of the world and have turned their backs upon Him Who would have led mankind along the true path of peace.

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Are we therefore to refrain from raising our voice and wishing to all men a holy and a happy Christmas? Heaven forbid!

For the Kingdom of God is not something political. It lies within the souls of untold multitudes of men, women and children. It is a kingdom which has been spread in spite of the satanic opposition of those who would overthrow God and wipe from men's vision the beatitude of knowing, loving and serving Him.

All those men and women, young and old, who labour in the Social Credit movement in Canada, in England, under the Southern Cross and wherever the light of Major Douglas' genius has spread are amongst the number of those in whom lies the hope of civilization to escape the fiery destruction of nuclear war and return to the sanity of a well-balanced and Christian society.

For the story of war is none other than the story of the injustice wrought by men upon men down through the ages.

Such injustice and inhumanity has reached its culmination in our world today. On the one hand, man's genius has brought the techniques of production to such a state of perfection that no man need go without the necessities of life; that all men might live in security from want and physical misery. On the other hand, man's inhumanity has ordained that two-thirds of mankind should go to bed hungry each night; that the rest must live every waking hour under the shadow of insecurity, not knowing from day to day whether or not the means of sustaining life will be available.

To work for the eradication of such an evil from our social system is surely a God-inspired work. And it is the work of all of those who have made their own the philosophy and principles of Social Credit.

Social Credit aims not only at correcting the abuses in the social system; at alleviating misery through the institution of just and humane financial and economic reforms. It strives to form the basis of a new civilization in which all men will have security with the maximum measure of individual liberty. It seeks to build such a community upon the teachings of Christianity, upon the establishment of those two great virtues commanded by Christ: the love of God and the love of one's neighbour for the love of God.

To devote our lives to such work is the surest way to call down upon us the blessings of God. And how else can their be contentment, peace and true joy except under the blessing of God. This is the reward of those who work as our people work.

It is with these thoughts in mind that the directors and members of the Union of Electors wish to all our readers the blessings of God in a truly holy and happy Christmas.