The following speech was written and delivered by Ethel Shepherd (my aunt, now deceased) June 8th,1951 at graduation exercises (Adult Education) at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School, Los Angeles, California:
As we look about us today and see such things as the ever increasing low standards of moral living, socialism, and communism taking over in many places, greed, unrest, confusion and war; we cannot help realizing that we are in the midst of a crisis such as the world has never [before] known.
Everyone is asking, “What is going to happen next?” “Where do we go from here?” I believe that before we can attempt to answer these questions, we must start at the beginning and see what is the cause of it all. Just what is the underlying basis of this great crisis? There have been other crises before, but this one is different. It threatens our entire way of living, indeed, our very existence.
Let us look further into the situation. Many of the other countries are leaving God largely out of their lives. Our own country in times past was justly called a Christian nation. It was founded by godly men—upon Christian and free principles, and has been very generous in giving refuge to and helping others. As a nation, we still practice some of these same principles and for this we are to be commended; but as individuals we do not necessarily follow these high standards. Delinquent parents are rearing delinquent children; even in the midst of higher standards of education there is more immorality than ever before; immoral crimes and dishonest acts of every kind are being practiced in private and public life; people are forsaking the house of God; and it seems that this country can no more rightly be called a Christian nation in the strictest sense.
What, then, is the cause of this crisis? I believe you will agree that the basic issue is essentially a spiritual one.General Douglas MacArthur in his message to Congress on April 19, said that, “If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door—the problem is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all the material and cultural development of the past 2000 years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.”
If, then, an improvement is necessary, and it is, it must be in the form of a spiritual change. The change must come about within the hearts of the people themselves.
You will remember that in ancient history many times God used the armies of a heathen country as a means of punishment for one nation in particular when it would go off into idolatry and would turn away from Him.
If this change that is necessary in our own country does not take place, and soon, that very same thing may happen to us. God may use a heathen and corrupt nation to bring us back to Himself. Let us remember, “Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.”
The decision is left to you and me. Are we going to continue in our present state—that destruction and war may come upon our nation? Or, will we turn again to the one true God, not only for the security of our souls in eternity, but for the future security of our country as well?
