Chapter II 



REVOLUTIONARY CHRISTIANITY 



We are so accustomed to seeing pictures and statues 

 representing a crowned and richly bejewelled Jesus, 

 held in the arms of a crowned and richly bejewelled 

 Madonna, that we may well find it difficult to visualise 

 what the reality must have been — a poorly-clad peasant 

 girl holding to her breast a poorly-clad Infant* And 

 those who worship the Jesus of the imagination, much 

 as two thousand years ago men worshipped the image 

 of Diana fallen down from heaven, are regarded as 

 sane men of sound views* Whilst those who have seen 

 and loved the real Jesus, the Carpenter of Nazareth, 

 Who showed to men a way of salvation which was no 

 mere trick of theologians and priests, but a new way of 

 life which could and would solve all our social and 

 international problems and create a Kingdom of Heaven 

 on earth, these men are regarded as cranks and 

 heretics* And in war-time they are regarded by 

 their fellow citi2;ens as dangerous criminals and are 

 treated accordingly* 



But surely the way of the Churches, and of '' practical 

 men,^' has not proved so successful that we can afford 

 thus to dismiss the Way of Christ as impracticable and 

 absurd ! 



It is impossible to read the synoptic Gospels with 

 an unprejudiced mind without recognising the fact that 

 the Gospel preached by Jesus was not only a gospel to 

 the poor, but a gospel of the poor* 



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