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THE FUTURE OUTLOOK J. F. JOHNSON Editor & Publisher MISS EMMA P. JOHNSON 1_. News Reporter L. A. WISE Staff Photographer Make all checks payable to and mail to: _ THE FUTURE OUTLOOK P. 0. BOX 20331? GREENSBORO, N. C. 27420 PHONE 273-1758 Second Class Postage Paid at Greensboro, N. C. 10c Per Copy Published Weekly $6.00 Per Tear PLIGHT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS By BEATRICE HERBIN It seems today that the public schools are drawing a great deal of attention, not only from local citizens con cerned, but from the State and Federal government as well, and rightly should be so. It has now been sixteen years, come May 17, that desegregation of the public schools was rendered a unanimous mandate by "The Nine Ole Men," with former Chief Justice Earl Warren speak ing for The Court. Perhaps many had forgotten it during the slow pace of compliance by local schools, and those in the other seventeen Southern States directly affected by the Court Decision ; many had not been born, or were very young at the time. Hence, the turmoil concerning the pub lic schools is nothing new today. The people have just been asleep. From this fact, the impact of the Nixon Administra tion on immediate desegregation has really shaken them up, black and white alike, and both are to blame for the possible consequences of bussing. Negroes who first sought equal opportunity of education lagged in the deal while the whites busied themselves in moving out of in tegrated districts into new housing units that set the races apart. Hence, if bussing must be, they asked for it. Several factors may be attributed to the change of attitudes on desegregation ? the violence of the late '60's instituted by a few self-styled revolutionists, the aged old fears of intermarriage and social assimilation of the races, and the added flame of prejudices and hate of both races towards each other. Yet, the theory still holds that a true government of people must be a united truce, that by learning and playing together, working and living together makes the truce stronger and indivisible. Equal oppor-| tunity in every facet of American life is the only answer to the realization of the American dream. The bellering and hollering of "black" this and "black" that is certainly not the answer to the Negro's ills; nor is white supremacy any longer a way out. If people are really human, it's high time each race came to a recogni tion of it, and long over due that they should conduct themselves accordingly. The only answer to the ideals of peace and domestic tranquility in this city, this state and nation is found in equal treatment and in equal opportun ity, with liberty and justice for all, and may I add, in the boundaries of law and order as each warrants it. Idealism is one thing; realism, another. All will never be entirely equal to each other because of human limita tions found in all of us. And the scriptures say that "to one he gave a talent, then to some three or four, and to some even five." It depends a great deal on how many each person has, the extent of his potential, his ambition and drive and on his use of common sense in the race for success, to set as his first objective that of knowing to what degree he can best serve his fellowman, and then striving to prepare himself to do it in the realm of his capacity. ' ' No, integration will not make a multiplicity of Ein stines, nor Kings, nor Lincolns, nor what you will, but it will certainly help to allay many of the fears and myths concerning who is inferior or who is superior. Neither as race is, as individuals, yes, but this depends on the per son. Tf bussing, in this stage of the game is the answer, then I say "bus." POETS CORNER "Lord, when Thou seest that my work is done, Let_me not linger on, With failing powers, Adown the weary honrs, A workless worker In a world of work. But, with a word, Just bid me home, And I will come Right gladly, Yea, right gladly Will I come." iThis Weed's Sunday School Lesson DEMANDS OF DISCIPLESHEP Beginning Where You Are When Jascha Heifetz was ask ed the secret of his marvelous technical proficiency on the vio lin, he answered without hesi tation, "Sixty thousand hours of practice." A highly successful track coach in a southeastern univers ity goes down the hall of the athletic dormitory at six each morning, routing out his men for a two-mile run before break fast. If a young person wants to be a doctor, he knows he must submit to long years of college, medical school, internship, res idency, and perhaps graduate study. If anything is certain in this life of ours, it is that nothing of value is achieved without effort. From membership in a fraternal order to competence in a profession, from homemaking to business success, from ath letic skill to recognition in the arts, one must pay a price. Our basic decision is really not what we want to do or be, but whether we want it badly enough to pay the cost. We will not be surprised, therefore, that the same principle holds true in being Christian. The passages selected for study in this lesson are exam ples of this principle. Read them all, including those not printed below. Searching The Scriptures The Scripture for this lesson i is Mark 8:34-38; Luke 14:25-33; j 1, Kings 22:1-36; Matthew 10: I 16-39; Acts 6 and 7. Selected | verses are printed below. I Mark 8:34-38 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after met, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will have it. 36 For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 For what can a man give in re turn for his life? 38 For who ever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Luke 14:25-33 25 Now great multitudes ac companied him; and he turned and said to them, 26 "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to com plete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying. 'This man began to build, and was not able to fin ish.' 31 Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. 33 So therefore, whoever of you does not re nounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.". Memory Selection: Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. ? Luke 14:27 Exploring The Questions Most scholars believe the Book of Mark was written soon after Nero's persecution of the Christians. Its first readers were Christians who had seen some of their friends martyred and who might themselves be called to die for their faith. Mark 8:27-30 tells how Peter first declared the disciples' be lief that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus then began to prepare them for the fact that his mes siahship meant not triumph but death. (Verses 31-33) It is against mis background that we must read verses 34-38. The dis ciples, too, must be ready 10 give up their lives in loyalty to Christ. (You may want to read the parallel passages in Matthew 16:24-27 and Luke 9:23-26.) In Luke 14:25-33 the admon ition to take up one's cross is included in a series of teachings on the conditi6ns of disciple - ship. We are warned that loyalty to Christ may involve a break with family and friends. We must say No to self and take up our cross. In view of these ab solute demahds, the disciple, is advised to consider carefully whether or not he is prepared to pay fueh a high price. First Kings 22:1-36 tells of the prophet Micaiah, whose fate is a vivid reminder that those who speak iorthrightly for God are often rejected and perse cuted. Ia Matthew 10:16-39 we read of Jesus' preparation of his fol lowers for future persecution. In the coming time of troubles not only the leaders but ordi nary Christians as well must be constant and loyal. Various advices are given as to what situations they will meet and how they shall conduct them selves. Acts 6 and 7 tells the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He is, of course, a su preme example of one who waff faithful to the end. He used his ordeal as an occasion to make strong witness to his faith. In his defense he cited three ex amples from Israel's history to illustrate the principle that those who obey God meet opposition from their fellows. ' These -"hard sayings of Jesus" naturally raise many questions. We have seen that the passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written for a church that was living in a time of persecu tion. while the Acts chapters re port an actual case of marty drom. Does this fact mean that these teachings can guide us only in situations where the church is under attack? Or do they also have meaning for everyday Christians in ordinary situations? : What does it mean in late ! twentieth-century America to "take up our cross"? Is Jesus the enemy of family life and loyalty? Can you think of any situa tions today where applying Jesus' teaching seriously could lead to family and community opposition? Finding Help With Tour Questions Several aspects of these words of Jesus challenge our attention. First of all, we notice tha forth-right honesty of Jesus. He stated the claims of God and j his kingdom in the starkest terms. He did not gloss over ths issues or hold out rosy promises. Instead he promised trials, per , secution, misunderstanding, sep aration from families and friends, and possible death. This seems a strange way to attract a following. However, Jesus wanted his hearers to count the cost before enlisting. (Luke 14:28-33) In our nation, where the majority of people belong to churches and membership brings prestige rather than danger, persons tend to take rather lightly the mat ter of joining the church. Most of our members are recruited from the children of our own families. The Discipline declares that "youth who are completing the sixth grade shall normally be the youngest persons recruited for . . . full membership." Fre quently, children much younger are admitted. In any case, both adults and children are to be instructed "in the meaning of the Christian faith and thh his tory, organization, and teaching 01' the United Methodist | Church" before they are re ceived. The Discipline further states: "A member of The United Meth odist Church is to be a servant of Christ on mission in the local and worldwide community. This servanthood is performed in his family life, daily work, recrea tion and social activities, re sponsible citizenship, the issues [ of his corporate life, and all his ! attitudes toward his fellowmen. | . . . He is to identify himself I with the agony and suffering of ! the world and to radiate and ' exemplify the Christ of hope." What Does the Cross Mean? Before we can understand the Scripture passages for this les son, we must explore the mean j ing of the cross. For Jesus himself, the cross I was literal. The cross or other ! forms of death were also the I fate of many of his followers. Was he therefore telling us that | we are to seek martyrdom? j martyrdom? Scarcely so, sin?e I in one of our passages his hear ers are told to flee to another ' city if they meet persecution where they are. (Matthew 10: 23) A Christian should be rca<!y to accept whatever hardship his faith . requires, but for most of ' us the cross will be figurative rather than literal. , What, then, is the cross we are to take up? People olten speak of the patient acceptance of illness or misfortune as "bearing one's cross." But such a situation hardly fits Jesus' (Continued on Pace S)
The Future Outlook (Greensboro, N.C.)
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March 6, 1970, edition 1
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