The church of Christ has a great message entrusted to it which must go forth to all mankind. All men shall be reached by it. This does not mean that already in this moment of history everyone must live in the church of Christ; but it does mean that all men must be reached by the witness of truth which tells what the final goal of human history is: this unity of Christ which is revealed in the embassy of Christ’s church. This fact strikes deep into the heart of all men, even if they are not all ready for it today.
- Eberhard Arnold
- Eberhard Arnold, November 1918 From an EssayWhen poets describe their experience of the powers that move in their inmost hearts, then they speak about longing. If we allow only a few rays of hope from the poets to work upon us, we will be deeply moved by the indissoluble connection between mankind and longing. Even the smallest selection of the poetic outpouring of human longing will confront us with their deepest content: the longing for God and for unity with God. At the deepest level, they have recognized that the essence of all longing is the cry of the soul to God.
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Our task is to understand the divine significance of the immense present-day movements for the advancement of the working people and for a peaceful future, to recognize the work of God towards his goal in the socialist and pacifist movements today. The goal is the future kingdom of peace, of justice on the earth: that is the hope of a Christian.
- Eberhard Arnold
When we live in the kingdom of his love we will be concerned to see each man in Christ. We will grow freely without rules and regulations, and live according to the nature of the future kingdom. This nature is love and freedom from impurity, mammon, lying, and pride. With the peace of Christ ruling in us, his love streams out from us. We use every minute, in political and economic affairs as well, to work in his spirit so as to give a picture, also practically here and now, of the character of his future kingdom: simply a community life in unconditional love.
- Eberhard Arnold