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150 A Plea for the Six Million Jews in Russia
stood when the great exodus began a generation ago. While new
ghettos have been planted on both sides of the Atlantic, the pale still
exists, in all its misery, with a population driven closer to its walls.
Six millions still tremble at the word "pogrom." That is the net
result of thirty years’ striving. What a pitiable tragedy!
The Present Calamity
But now all these past sorrows of Israel become pale in view of the
present calamity that has befallen the scattered people. Massed in the
very crater of the world-war, they are passing in real truth through
the "valley of the shadow," and are stumbling in its brooding dark-
ness. Old problems, old difficulties, and sorrows have been forgotten,
in the one overpowering agony of an unprecedented conflict. The
world-struggle is searching the very vitals of the race, stirring its
energies, revolutionizing its life and transforming its outlook. This
is a sorrowful situation, but what about Israel’s critical spiritual con-
dition.
To deal with Israel is to go to them with the message of truth: If
you really have on your heart the conversion of the millions of Rus-
sians, it is no use for you to think that they will be converted if you
ignore Israel. Russia must be thought of as a whole and its peoples
must be won for Christ.
You must remember wonderful things have happened and are being
wrought in Russia. As Associate Editor of the Missionary Review of
the World, I am vitally interested in every movement in Russia. I
have a number of friends there. My Russian brethren must remem-
ber that when I speak of the sufferings of the Jew, in Russia, I do not
blame anyone here, or even the Russian people. How can one go and
tell people in Russia after some of these horrible pogroms, that
Jesus is love, when they saw a priest with a cross going and leading
in such a pogrom? When I aided some of them and told them I was
doing it for Christ’s sake, they said: "For Christ’s sake? why they
kill us here for Christ’s sake!" There was a certain Jew who had
been converted to Christ and he told me this story, and it is really
beautiful. He had an old mother and she was killed, and he said: "I
had bitterness of soul and I hated everyone. I hated God and I hated
every being. I was going down a street and a young Russian about
thirty years of age came over to me and began to kiss my hands and
to say: ’Forgive me, forgive me.’ And I looked up at him and asked:
’What do you want me to forgive you for?’ He said: ’You are my
brother. I was not a Christian. Now I have become a Christian. I
was in your house and gave you a beating. I hated your race, but I
have Jesus now, I am a Christian, and I have been looking for you.
I want you to forgive me.’ The Russian would not let him go, but
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