ss of a
nation can be measured by the swiftness and accuracy with which it
understands its prophetic voices, or personalities, or events. The next
best thing to being a prophet is to interpret a prophet. This is one of
the proper functions of trained and idealistic minds, such as college men
and women should possess. The more the Kingdom of God is present, the less
will prophets be allowed to suffer. When it is fully come, the cross will
disappear.

V

The social principle of the cross contains a challenge to all who are
conscious of qualities of leadership. Let the average man do average
duties, but let the strong man shoulder the heavy pack. It is no more than
fair that persons of great natural power should deliberately choose work
involving social hardships. At present the theory seems to be that the
strong have a right to secure places where they will be freed from the
necessity of exerting themselves, and can lay their support on the
shoulders of the poor. That is the law of the cross reversed. Our
semi-pagan society has always practiced vicarious suffering by letting the
poor bear the burdens of the rich in addition to their own. Instead of
encouraging the capable to hunt after predatory profit and entrusting
public powers to those who have been most successful in preying, we ought
to encourage solidaristic feeling, and give both power and honor to those
who are ready to serve the commonwealth at severe cost to themselves.

What has the principle of the cross to say to college men and women? If
they have an exceptional outfit, let them do exceptional work. A knight in
armor was expected to charge where others could not venture. A college
education entitles a Christian man to some hard knocks. It seems
contemptible for us to walk off with the pleasures and powers of
intellectual training, and to leave the work of protecting children and
working girls against exploitation to men and women without education,
without leisure, and without social standing, who will have to pay double
the tale of effort for every bit of success they win. In some European
countries foreign mission service has been left mainly to men and women of
the artisan class. In our country college men and women have volunteered
for it. That is as it ought to be. On the other hand, in the struggle for
political liberty the European universities have taken a braver and more
sacrificial part than has ever fallen to our lot.

Those who are consc