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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Student's Newspaper. Volume 31, Number 1. March 3 1968

Students find Unity in Christ

Students find Unity in Christ

250 Roman Catholic and S.C.M. students joined together in "Explorations '67" search lor truth.

Together we tried to make some sense out of our often nonsensical faith.

We found a real unity in long walks, and in our endless bull sessions with our great speaker. Albert Van den Heuvel; we shared meals and sang together.

Most important we found a unity of purpose, in that we were able to agree on what the object of our Christian faith was and is.

Most of the credit for this unity was due to the efforts of our chief speaker, who reminded us again and again that the chief and sole justification of our Christian faith (both Roman Catholic and Protestant alike), was that it alone enabled men to be free and to be totally human.

We didn't gel bogged down in endless discussions about transubstantiation, mariolatry. etc.

All a Christian has to do is to be as normal as it is possible to be in a world of so much abnormality. A Christian can only be normal and free because he is aware that he is loved by Cod (in the world) and that this in turn forces him to love his neighbour and to be in communion with him. The Christian according to Van den Heuvel is anyone who is curious about the world and interested in it. yet retains his humanity so that he is compassionate towards it.

The Christian is one who also understands the significance of the Cross, and in turn is prepared to suffer for the world, with the knowledge of the resurrection to give hope. The Christian is anyone who responds to Cod moving in the world whether he calls from China or America. Russia or Germany: and the Christian is one who stands up to be counted, and one who opposes any sort of oppression (political, social or religious) rejoicing in the freedom of man. It is a call to revolt, revolt against all the forces that dehumanise and oppress .it is a call to men free from all that binds him.

It was this sort of intellectual meat that set the tone of conference, and Roman Catholic and S.C.M'er alike affirmed that this was what we wanted to make real in our lives. So together we accepted our "Precarious Unity" and resolved to get on with the mammoth job of being followers of the Way; people who endeavour to live whole and mature lives in relationships to God and lo our fellow men.

K. P. Clements.