The Leader (Unitarian Universalist REGISTER-LEADER) January 1965/40 cents Albert Schweitzer—an Evaluation at NinetyUnitarian Universalist REGISTER-LEADER January 1965—Vol, 147, No. 1 Eelitorial wy ana McLean GREELEY 2 Taughter at Lambaréné ne HOME A. JACK 4 Albert Schiseitser—Individualist BY GEORGE X. NARSHALL The Torch Is Passed Along wy JACK MENDELSOHN 8 Albert Schweitzer as Doctor BY ROBERT M. COLDWYN 10 Thoughts on Translating Schweitzer ny CHARLES R. JOY 2 Books and Ideas “4 What Our Ministers Say 16 Spotlight Genter Fold Thoughts for Meditation xorreD sv JACOB TRAPP 0 Open Forum 18 The Unitarian Universalist World 19 Slate of Candidates for 1965 UUA Elections 7 The News: District by District 20 ‘OUR COVER PICTURE: Albert Schweier as he appened atthe 1949 Goethe fexival in Aspen, Calarado. GRATEFUL THANKS are extended to many for their help in preparing this special ase of "The Leader”, honoring. Albert Schwezers wineteth birthday, Tatwary 14. We partcalatly with to acknowledge she long and thoughtful contributions ofthe Rev. George N. Marsh = the Rev. Robert H. Schacht, Jr, as we thank our authors aod contibutors, the Rey. Donald Ssntho Harrington, and the Unitarian Univer rd perete: peers pee ae estas aaa etal seme eS ie AE Sa oe ae Bb Rae cae eed nae as Sac ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Edwin A, Lane, ch gant Reval W, Murray, “Thomas 1 Robinson, Bidhard Vaban, Atber F Zeger ACTING EDITOR, Eawasd Daring, Auocite Eal- tor, Judith Quem News Edior, Mavic B Walling ‘Aikertving an Promotion Manager, Jeremy Gov Gircuaton Manager, Mary Browning, erin omar ee ce gant rei re ae ere fumes tue, ioog, "rhe! Unitrin” Regitr ras oa le ncaa a Tle Th ae et (ge to ii, and he Chrsan ‘cedar (186 Co Service Committee, Member, Associated. Chute Prem, Subteiber, Religious News Service, “Ta LiAoen’ ie published co. dseminate informa: Won, encourage fall Ingty. stimulate Tree discus: nd inspire Teeponsible tion relevant fo the Serelopment and ‘concerns ‘of ‘libend scgion, Ale {hough the vews terested Meri are not neces. Sanly those ofthe Unitarian Universit Assocation, {hey ate prone in the. conviction that Welt thoughtful consideravon by all concerned with iberat relgfon wil combuce «the sdvancement of the Durbotes of the Unitarian Universe Amoiston 3 ied in Atlde Ioffe Conteuion, Second-las postage pald at Montpelier, Vermont SEND NOTICES FOR chapeeo dave a se Seve ae allowing ‘addrow Reguter"Lande before ihe'laveS vith which ei to take eee Indide Goth HL Shiuew dre ‘Adages, aes and make ches payable to Rese ORAS atin Sse Boon Mae G8 Editorial ‘Theodore Parker in his famous sermon ‘tied to sort out the permanent from the transient in Christianity. He found that the church need not depend upon miracles, since its permanent element is the teach ings of Jesus. ‘Those of us who have had the privilege of visiting Albert Schweitzer in Lambaréné also have the obligation to sort out the per- manent from the transient in Schweitzer, whom many think of as the greatest living Christian and others think of as no Chris. tian at all. Does his reputation depend upon his legend, or is there a more pet- manent element? ‘The task of evaluation is not easy, for a living legend casts a dazzling halo. The realities of che man are greater than the legendary image, however. He is strong, resourceful, intelligent, and a warm human being. His religion is “faith-in- action.” His humanity overpowers the Jegend for those who know him personally. Some of the current criticisms of Schweiter are patently untrue; others ‘cannot be dismissed. Schweitzer especially ‘cannot be criticized for failing to do what he has never intended to do: turn his vil- lage into a modern training hospital. Even great men have faults, and Schweitzer is no exception. Yet he in- corporates great strengths, pethaps the ‘most remarkable of those being his ability to grow, to conquer new realms, In the eighth decade of his life, afeer he received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize, Schweitzer began his prophetic study of the problems of war and peace. The charge of “anachro- nism” was exploded when he issued his appeals from the jungle for a cessation of rnclear tests. ‘We who are religious liberals are hon- fored that Albert Schweitzer on several oc ‘asions has chosen to associate himself with ‘us, We have tried to repay that honor in part by interpreting his life and work. We must not exploit Schweitzer's association ‘with liberal religion, for we know that he is above partisan labels. As Norman Cousins has written, the point about Schweitzer is not especially what he has done for the Africans, but what he has done for us. Because of the power of his example, our own lives are richer and he makes us want to devote an ever greater portion of our lives to service, ‘That is the permanent in Schweitzer which nothing can destroy. DAKA MCLEAN GREELEY UUA President UNFTARIAN UNIVERSALIS REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 1968Dr. Schweitzer entertains his ants* “{ must forgive lies directed against me because so many times my own conduct has been blotted by lies. 1 must forgive the Iovelessness, the hatred, the slander, the fraud, the arro- gance which I encounter, since I myself have so often lacked love, and have hated, slandered, defrauded, and been arrogant, and I must forgive without noise or fuss, In general, I do not succeed in forgiving fully; I do not even get as far as being always just. But he who tries to live by this principle, simple and hard as itis, will know the real adventures and triumphs of the soul.” Albert Schweitzer ‘*From Days with Albert Schweitzer by Frederick Franck. Copyright © 1969 by Frederick , Franck. Reproduced by permission of Holt, Rinchart and Winston, Inc. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 1965, 8On a hospital path Dr. Schweiter feeds a friendly goat (photo by George N, Mahall). ‘At table in Albert Schweitzer's jungle hospital, the talk is 1 ‘sparkles. Here the Reverend Homer A. Jack shares for the Dr. Jack kept during visits to Lambaréné in 1952, 1987, 1958, and 1962. A certain hotel in Strasbourg exhibited a plaster bust of myself in one of its public parlors. The Council of Europe met in this room, One of the delegates stopped the meeting and asked that the manager re- move the offensive bust. The manager asked the delegate what was offensive about the statue, “We don’t like Stalin,” was bis reply. ‘One of my nephews also had a copy of this bust in his parlor. Once a businessman visited his house, saw the bust, and said: “Tam glad that you are one of us ‘One must bark out against atomic tests and ‘atomic war like a dog in the African night. The press is silent. The church is slow. Those who can must speak out. And they must write letters—eanned dog barks. I remember fourth-class railroad travel in Europe and usually traveled that way, even ‘with my family. Many poor workers, how- ever, felt that to travel fourth or even third ‘was beneath their dignity. I would go to Barcelona to give my concerts and would travel third class. Just before the train reached Barcelona, T would pass into the first-class carriages so as not to shock the friends who were meeting me. Don't talk to me about my unfinished man- ‘uscripis. A chicken only maker a noise when it has laid an egg. Only after I have published a book will it be right to talk ‘about it. Fortunately, there are chickens here at Lambaréné, or I wouldn't have Tearned such a good lesson, 4 ‘Yes. Jean Paul Sartre and Tare related, but neither one of us admits it, Eugene V. Debs, the American Socialist, was also re- lated to me, Some years ago a student of ‘mine in Strashourg was an American, and during Iunch we talked about Debs. 1 asked this American what kind of man Debs was. He replied, “Terrible!” Then 1 told him that Debs and I were related! Before you run down a man, make sure the person to whom you're talking is not a relative. Emma Hauskneckt asked an African at. tendant at the hospital to patch his own ragged apron. He replied that he wanted ‘anew apron, Mile. Emma pointed out how ‘many patches there are on my clothes. But the African replied, “Le Grand Docteur is a great man without a new apron, Iam not, and want a new apron.” Nobody gave me an easy chair for my eightieth birthday. So I have had to give a gift to myself and that is to limit my work to this hospital. I have sufficient strength only to live and do hospital work. Perhaps there will be a day when the burden will be Tess heavy. A pastor whose congregation builds a new church building will age ten years in three. Churches should not be built too large, for it ts better to have a small building full than a large church half-empty. Every sermon must have a text! It is good for laymen, on returning home from LAUGHTER AT LAMBARENE ‘ot always sad. Conversation, particularly le Grand Docteur's, frequently first time in print some Schweitzer table talk—paraphrased from notes church, to have some words from Jesus 0 Paul in their hearts—even if they return home with nothing else. Yes, in the nincteen-twenties the exper ‘ence really occurred—the rains came, an we had to haul all the building timber under cover. There were few helpers, and: three of us hed to haul the beams and planks in from the rain. Suddenly I saw a ‘visitor, all dressed in white. I asked him t Tend us « hand. He replied: "E am an it tellectual and don’t drag wood about.” replied: “You've lucky. I, (00, wanted t become an intellectual, but I didn't suc ceed.” ‘The Roman Catholics show visitors one ol their convents in France and point out oom where they say that both Van Gi and Albert Schweitzer have slept. But onl} ‘Van Gogh was crazy... . Then there w a room at Woodbridge College in Englan where visitors sleep because in that 100 they say, have slept Tagore, Gandhi, an Schweitzer. Twas traveling in a train, and two childr came up to me and asked: “Dr. Einstein will you give us your autograph?” I did no want to disappoint them, s0 I signed thei autograph book, “Albert Einstein, by hi friend, Albert Schweitzer.” Dr. Homer A. Jack is director of the De partment of Social Responsibility of th Unitarian Universalist Association ané formerly of the National Committee for Sone Nuclear Policy. [UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 196Albert Schweitzer— Individualist In the realm of ideas, Albert Schweitzer is among the most articulate of persons. He isa social chinker, a student of compara tive religions and cultures, an interpreter of civilization and of hnman destiny. As such, this man, often called a universal ‘genius, has spoken out against the present course of civilization. He has been an au- dacious challenger of nationalism, institu: tionalism, conformity, unthinking solu- tions, and superficiality in cultural and human affairs. He is one of the greatest free minds in our day, and he is properly identified as a Liberal in the best meaning of that term. Ie is somewhat amazing that so challeng- ‘ng and disconcerting a viewer of thes scene would have become popular. Al- though Dr. Schweitzer has not been pre- senting in his philosophical writings the prevalent ideas of the great masses of peo- pl, he is beloved and supported because by George N. Marshall people see in him a modern man who ac- tually practices the religion of love. ‘That his religious beliefs differ from the ‘common has not occurred to most. In con- sequence, when he is “exposed” as holding ideas that are not popular, or his motiva- tions are challenged, as they may be, since his reasons are those of the dissenter and nonconformist, many good people gasp ‘with dismay. Dr. Schweitzer went to Africa, not 10 “pear the white man's burden" (o the ‘fuzzy wurry,” but rather to repudiate the colonialism of which Kipling sang. He went, not to “lesser breeds without the Jaw,” but to people who were imposed on by the white man, He may have been one of the world’s frst great anticolonialists, and it is a paradox that that is not recog nized today by people who attack him. ‘As one peruses his writings, one is im pressed over and over by the magnitude of UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 1905, A pet pelican polishes off a meal in 1963. Schweitzer’s challenge and critique of un- thinking modem life, For Schweitzer, thought is the essential means to solving problems and righting old shortcomings or failures, Today's culture, however, relies greatly upon catchwords and slogans, hid- den persuaders, manipulation by psycholo- gists, emotional herd-feeling, and conform: ity which obstruct individual reflection. In consequence, many seem to govern their lives, their deliberate actions, and their outlooks by irrational or antirational im- pulses. Herd man, civilized man, appears to be moving closer to irrationality than have former generations. “What a relief 10 look back on the age of the Enlightenment or the great classical ages, when men exalted reason! Schweitzer, perhaps the last of the Enlightenmene ‘minds although born a century later, has been true to the principles of reason, na~ turalism, and thought. Those elements 5combine to make, not only his religion, Dut his culture. For the ethical imperative hhe goes back to Jesus of Nazareth, but he finds the motive power of the Stoies more helpful than that of Christianity. Conse- quently, his is a manysided distent from modern civilization, as he tries to recreate the conditions for a rational civilization. Concerning the relationship of man's thought to the life he lives and the uni- verse in which he lives, Schweitzer has written, “AIL thinking must renounce the attempt to explain the universe. What is sglorious in it is united with what is full of horror. What is {ull of meaning is united with what is senseless. The spirit of the universe is at once creative and destructive it creates what it destroys and destroys ‘what it creates, and therefore it remains to us a riddle, And we must inevitably resign, ourselves (0 this.” Schweitzer thus embarked, years ago, on the most daring avenue of modern thought jn his renunciation of an affirmative world view. Hle was forced to a logical conclusion that the universe itself was morally, ration: ally, objectively neutral. It remained for man to take sides and to make life mean. ingful, to make life moral, to make life rational, to make life consistent. ‘While Schweitzer proceeded where Exis- tentialiste followed, he found the ethical too compelling to allow him to stop as they did, without arriving at meaning and pur pose. Meaning and purpose he found in the will to live. Only a great encyclopedic thinker of the stature of Schweitzer could convincingly have cut his way through the accumulated knowledge of the race to ar rive at that simple conclusion from ration- al grounds, rather than out of ignorance. ‘Schweitzer was at home in the intellec- tual systems and ideologies of the East as well as the West. Eastern thought, he found, offered more to our understanding ‘of the world view than did westem thought, However, it was valuable only in its explanations, for it failed in offering the motivations for accepting this life. It moved from passivity to negation and be- ‘came a life-destructive philosophy. ‘At that point, Dr. Schweitzer returned to the Stoies and to Jesus for the ethical imperative. The eastern systems were ‘world: and lifenegating, whereas what he was seeking was a world and life affirma- tion. And he had to end with the world negation and life affirmation growing out of a rational ethical system, rather than @ supernatural ethical system. Thus, Schweit- zer’s dissent in philosophy and ethics vied 6 jn rather closely with his dissent against nationalism, colonialism, and militarism. His need for a rational ethic was also carried on to his dissent against the estab lished orthodoxy of western religions, since thought, rather than faith, hnd become primary for him. Upon reading Oswald Spengler’s Decline of the West as a stu: dent, Dr. Schweitzer had found Spengler’s ideas “without substance” and had decia- ed some day to write a book of his own on the process of the decay and disintegration in society. With the coming of World War T to Europe, when the decline of civliza: tion yas not only nociceable, but accclera ted, he could put off writing his book no Tonger. Accordingly, during four months ‘of house arrest, he spent most of his time ‘writing the first volume of the Philosophy of Civilization Dr. Schweitzer for many years had real: ized that his generation's optimism which hhad stressed perpetual progress or as it was (put, “the progress of mankind onward and lupward forever,” was shallow and unteli- able. That optimism, he believed, needed hhardheaded examination, for it did not take into account the essential drive neces. sary if society was creatively and construct ively to meet its problems. In 1915 Dr. Schweitzer suddenly realized that he was becoming too despondent about the future, in dealing mainly with f criticism of society. Why not consider the constructive features and the hope for the facure? ‘He turned then, not only to Spengler for his lessons, but to Schopenbaner and Nietache, balancing their positions with those of Kant and the German Idealist. His Enfightenment studies, of course, were brought to bear, as well. Hee sought to avoid the absurdities found in European philosophy, and to correct the negation of the Oriental philosophies. The point of philosophical inquiry for Schwei zer, however, was the pragmatic purpose of aiding mankind co face the question of his place and role in the universe, to the end of creating the good life. “Civilization can only revive when there shall come into being in a num: ber of individuals a new tone of mind independent of the one prevalent ‘among the crowd and in opposition toit,a tone of mind which will gradu. ally win influence over the collective one, and in the end determine its character.” ‘The hope for civilization was the creation UNTTARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 19 of a tone of mind which had to be devel ‘oped personally by the individual. (One clear sign Schweitzer found in hit preparation for The Quest of the Histori cal Jesus, as he considered Ernest Renan, great nineteenth-century French Rational ist. Asa young man, Renan had been on of the first (0 make full use of histori criticism of the Gospels, which led to his rejection of the Gospel as historically ac curate or reliable, Schweiter discover that that condlusion had stood in the wa of further creative scholarship, as it ha paralyzed Renan’s thought, forcing him become a defender of revolutionary posi tions already reached. ‘Dr. Schweitzer, seeing himself in a some: what analogous position of rejecting esta lished dogma, decided that thought it: self could not be allowed to become strait jacket which enmeshed his mind, Like Renan, he recognized that he was es tranged from the larger community of the church, bus, unlike Renan, he did not be- ‘come trapped by his estrangement, He told Saturday Review editor Nor ‘man Cousins, “1 think I can understand how Re- nan’s work affected him when he didn’t allow it to redefine his life for him, This is what I mean when T say T came to Lambaréné because I want- ed to make my life my argument. 1 didn’t wane my ideas to become an end in themselves.” Having arrived at his. position, Dr, ‘Schweitzer has remained an incorrigible in- dividualist. His position on ethics, ex pressed in reverence for life, is one exam: ple. His position against warfare and nu: lear fall-out is another. His international: ism is part of his nonconformity, as is his religious liberalism. In writing of Christian truth, for in: stance, he called attention forcefully to i enshrinement of falsehood, rather tha honesty: “In what a condition we find ourselves today, merely because in the carliest Ghristian period writings were al- Towed to appear, bearing quite falsely the names of apostles, in order to give greater authority to the ideas put forth in them! They have been for geneva: tions of Christians a source of painful dissension.” He even discussed the capability of J sus to etx, something that most churchme! ‘would not allow themselves to consider:“what can we do in face of what stands clearly recorded im the Gos peli? Are we acting in the spirit of Jesus if we attempt with hazardous ‘and sophisticated explanations (0 force the sayings into agreement with the dogmatic teaching of his absolute ‘and universal incapability of error. He Himself never made any claim to ‘such omniscience.... Knowledge of spiritual truth is not called upon to ‘prove its genuineness by showing fur- ther knowledge about the events of world history and matters of ordinary life. Its province lies on a quite differ tent level from the latter's, and it is quite independent of it In an article published in the 1920's, tiled The Relations of the White and Colowred Races, he gave this clean-cut ex: planation: “1 wish ta discuss colonization, and the relations of the white and col- ured races which it involves, as a peasant talts of his cabbages, and not ‘a: an artist or a poet would depict the ssame cabbages.... Let us concentrate upon the essential problems of coloni- zation, which is the conservation and. protection and the exercise of the rights of man. “The idea of the rights of man was formed and developed in the eight eenth century. when society was an organized and stable thing. Whatever the fundamental rights of man are, they can only be fully secured in a stable and well-ordered society. In a disordered society the very well-being ‘of man himself often demands that his fundamental rights should be abridged. We have, then, to start in our discussion from an empirical rath- er than a philosophical basis. “The fundamental rights of man are, first, the right to habitation; secondly, the right to move freely, thirdly, the right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it; fourthly, the right to freedom of labour and of exchange: fifthly, the right to justice; sixthly, the right to live within a natural, na- tional organization; and, seventhly, the right to education. We now ask ourselves how far are these safeguard: ed by existing colonization? “The power to safeguard the rights of ‘man varies in direct relation with the Children ofthe Lambaréné leper village, b receive thelr fest balloon, gifts fom the Rev. George N. Mas Marsal, instr of the Church of the Larger Fellow {allt Association president. social order. If the social order is nor- mal, the rights can be complete; but i it is abnormal, they are menaced ‘and limited.” ‘More recently, despite a necessity for White men to remain silent, he spoke in behalf of allowing the Africans to solve their own problems, noting that black colonialism (exploitation of one African territory by another) was as reprehensible as white colonialism, He wrote to a Bel- igian newspaper: “My advice ...is that of an old Africa hand who has been living for almost {fifty years in an area near the Gon- {g0.++ The era of colonialism does not exist any more, and the colonial em- pire of the Congo does not exist any ‘more either. Surviving are only two pieces of this empire formed by peo- ple and tribes.... Neither har any Claim on the other. Neither has any obligations toward the other. They ‘ave absolutely independent of one another, No war, undertaken by one against the other to suppress it has ‘any judicial foundation... It is in- comprehensible that foreign state would be presently in a state of war UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 1985 Unitaian Universalist (CLF), was there MeLean Gresley, Unitarian Univ with Katanga to compel it to pay roy- alties to the other Congolese state. “No foreign state can claim the right to compel one of these two indepen- dent states to submit to the other. The United Nations associates itseif with that foreign country and in this undertaking runs the risk of losing the welldeserved respect which they enjoy in the world. The mission of the United Nations is not to wage Ie is perhaps in the perspective of Schweitzer’s challenge to the status quo that attacks on him axe best understood— the individualist who refuses to conform, ‘whether in social, political, professional, or ‘on medical terms. We see that challenge in many ways, including his effort to arouse ‘world opinion against nuclear warfare and testing; his refusal to align himself either ‘with colonialism or native independence movements; and his disdain of medical codes for hospital administration in favor of pragmatic decisions. In all those areas— intellectual, cultural, and professional— ‘Schweitzer is independent. Such a person isa jolting disparity in a world of conform- ities—to everybody except a liberalDr. and Mme, Schweitter visited the president's offie at 25 Beacon Street July 19, 1949 (a Christian Science Monitor photo). Thoughts on Translating Schweitzer by Charles R. Joy Every artist is an interpreter, He differs from other artists by the kind of world he inhabits. If he is a sculptor, his world is a ‘world of bronze or marble, of clay or silver. Ie he is a painter, his world is a prismatic world of color. Abert Schweitzer says that, 28 a matter of fact, no artist is a poet alone or a mu- sician alone. "Various artists have their habitation in his soul.” Itisdiffcult to determine, he points out, whether Michelangelo is primarily a poet or a painter, ‘The creative art is complex, Schweitzer says, and so also is our reception of it “Many a man thinks he sees a picture, whereas he really hears it.... Anyone who does not hear the bees in Didier-Pouget’s picture of the flowery heath does not see it with the eye of an artist” Schweitzer says. If every artist is an interpreter, translat- ing what he sees into musical tones, or what he hears into rhythmic words, or what ke feels into plastic form, then it fol- lows that the interpreter himself should be 2 an artist. He must somehow produce in the new language something that has equal worth there, ‘His work is not simply imitative; it is al so in itself creative. For languages differ from each other as music differs from paint- ing, a8 painting differs from writing. ‘The translator's work may be just as im- portant as the original, He can, in the fist place, produce 2 new work of vigor and beauty which has litde relation to the ori inal. That is not translation. He can, in the second place, distort and falsify the original, either by accident or intent, That is not translation, He can, in the third place, reproduce ‘word for word the meaning of the original as faithfully as the “trot” used in college to assist lazy students, but that “crib-lingo” is not translation. A good translation con- vveys the sense, the feeling, the force, the fragrance of the original. am not a professional interpreter or wanslator, But I have had occasion to ‘translate in recent years, from both French and German, a number of books and maga- zine articles, mostly the writings of Albert Schweitzer. When I began my work, Schweitzer was largely unknown even in his own native France. A small group of intellectuals (clergy. ‘men, theologians, musicians, philosophers) were, indeed, using the most extravagant terms about him. They were calling him “the greatest living Christian,” “the thir teenth disciple,” “the man of the century"; bur the great mass of people, among them many college professors, had no slightest idea who he was. Much of his writing had never been translated. Some of it had been anslated and published and then forgot- In my opinion Schweitzer’s work and thought deserved to be better known, not for his sake, but for ours. I never consid: ered him “the greatest man in the world” I did not think he was the first to formu- late his fundamental ethical principle of reverence for life, which Goethe in Wil- hhelm Meister had briefly developed (Ehy- furcht vor dem Leben); but 1 was con- vinced that there was a brilliant man, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 1965whose thoughts about ethics, civilization, religion, theology, and music deserved to be better known. since then I have published eight books ‘about him, and in doing so I have not only earned a great deal about Albert Schweitz- er, but also something about the art of the translator. ‘One of the first lessons T have learned, and it isa very obvious one, is that no one ‘can translate a teclinical book without some background knowledge of the sub- ject matter with which the book deals. The ost dificult translating job I have ever undertaken was the rendering into English fof the Schweitzer book, Deutsche und fronzivische Orgelbaukunst und Orgel- Jhunst. If, a8 Schweitzer says, that book was the fruie of long thought and study, the translation of i¢ was also for me the fruit of thought and study. In 1895, on Schweitzer’s way back from the Wagner festival at Bayreuth, he stopped to hear the new modern organ in the Liederhalle at Stuttgart. From that ‘moment he became convinced that the new “organs were not so goodl as the old ones. Schweitzer was not arguing for the old ‘organs of Bach's day. Those were much in- ferior to the wonderful instruments built between 1880 and 1880, and best exempli- fied in Aristide CavaillColl’s organ in St. Sulpice. For Schweitzer that organ was so beautiful and functioned still so well, chat he was convinced, that, if it were properly maintained, the Archangel Gabriel might find ic useful for the “waketul rump of doom.” What Schweitzer was really fighting aginst was the modern idea that the best organ was the one with the largest num: ber of stops, the greatest number of gadg- 4s, and the most imposing organ case. He believed that with the proper restoration the mechanical defects of the old organs could be removed and their beauty of tone, preserved. ‘The thesis was simple enough, but not so the xt, Almost immediately I found that (0 translate the book accurately, I had. to know myself a great deal about organ building, from the organs of Bach's day down through the whole story of French and German organ construetion since that time, Thad co learn something about pneumat- ics and electricity as methods of generating wind volume and wind pressure. I had to ‘know how the French arranged their coup- lets and composition stops for their feet, ‘while the Germans used pistons exclusively UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST REGISTER-LEADIR, for the hands, I had to know what the re- volving drum was in the German organ and how the French organists produced their crescendi without it Thad to learn how the German organists used blind combinations while the French introduced mixtures and reeds. I had 10 learn about wind boxes and swell organs and organ tuners. Not until I had learned something of those and many other things, was I able to finish my translation. ‘Another difficulty arose from the lan ‘guages that Schweitzer used, I suppose he is as nearly bilingual as a man can be. A native of Alsace, living all of his early life ‘until the end of World War Tas a German subject and since then continuing as a sub- ject of France, he has always spoken both French and German. Yet he once said to me: “No man is real- ly bilingual. There is always « language that is first with him. You can always dis- cover what this is by noticing in what lan- ‘guage he counts and reckons, As for me, I always count in German.” ‘That, indeed, I have noticed in Albert Schweitzer, but I have also noticed some thing else, and that is that the language Schweitzer likes best to speak is not pure German, but a Germanic dialect, Alsatian ‘That is really his native tongue, Whenever Schweitzer is with Alsatians, either in Africa or in Europe, theirs is the language he speaks, Perhaps that is the reason that the French he writes and speaks is some times not a pure Parisian French, and the German is not the German of @ Berlin scholar. Mrs, Schuweiter, who spoke a more cul- tivated French and German than her hus band, used to go over his manuscripts in the early days and make corrections in them, Natusally, in the later days that was Tess necessary. Dr. Schweitzer, for some reason, is not a good translator himself, even of his own ‘works, His first book on Johann Sebastian Bach was in French (J. 5. Bach, Le Musi- cien-Poete). But when the demand arose fora German translation, Schweitzer found it $0 difficult to make one that he re- nounced the effort and composed an en: tirely new book in German, almost twice as Jong as the French version, ‘At that time, he wrote: “The difference between the two lan- guages, as I feel it, I can best describe dy saying that im French I seem to be strolling along the well-kept paths in 4 fine park, but in German to be wan- JANUARY, 1985 dering at will in a magnificent forest. Into literary German there flows con- tinually new life from the dialects with which it has hept in touch. French has lost this fresh contact with the soil. It in rooted in its literature, becoming thereby, in the favorable, as in the un- favorable sense of the word, some- thing finished, while German in the same sense remains something unfin- ished. The perfection of French con- sists in being able to expressathought in the eleatest and most concise way; that of German, in being able to pre~ sent it in its manifold aspects.” ‘One might easily argue chat poine with, Schweitzer and remind him that one of the chief functions of the distinguished French ‘Academy is (0 enrich the language, and hac Freneh, (00, ha 1g dia ects. But the point here is simply that, while Schweitzer speaks French fluently, be prefers German and is more at home in it. In translating his recent works, I have always tried to secure his own German ver- sion of a Goethe address, a Nobel Prize speech, rather than the French version of it, even when the French was the language of official utterance, For I have felt certain that in knowing what he would say in his mother tongue, Tam much closer to the original meaning, ‘Any man who tries to get close co the heart of a great man’s life and work and thought has a rewarding experience, Al bert Schweitzer has been only an avocation for me. But that avocation has brought me the warm, personal friendship of a man sho is setting the world an example of a twuly dedicated life, a life from which all things extraneous to its central purpose have been rigorously and relentlessly pruned, a life in which ethics and religion, philosophy and art come to a burning fo: cus in human service. ts contrib The Reverend Charles R. Joy, S.TD., has been administrative vice-president of the American Unitarian Association, executive director of the Unitarian Service Commit tee, and literary editor of The Christian Register. His works about Albert Schweit- zer have included: The Africa of Albert Schweitzer (with Melvin Arnold), Music in the Life of Albert Schweitzer, and Schweit: zer: An Anthology (a revited edition of the last will be published in early 1965 jointly by Beacon Press and Harper & Row, Pub- lishers). 18Albert Schweitzer: Thought and Religion ‘The beginning of all spiritual life of any al value is courageous faith in truth and npen confession of the same. Philosophy of Civilization "Let us rejoice in the truth, wherever we ind its lamp burning, —Ghristianity and World Religions "Christianity cannot take the place of chinking, but must be founded on it. In and by itself ic cannot overcome lack of thought and skepticism. The only age which can be receptive to the imperishable elements in its own thoughts is one ani- mated by an elemental piety which springs fom thinking. Just as a stream needs to be replenished from underground water, Christianity needs the subsoil water of elemental piety which springs from thinking. It can only stain real spiritual power when men find the road no longer barred from thought to religion, Out of My Life and Thought If the debate between tradition and though falls silent, Christian truth suffers, and with it Christian incegrity.... The sayings, “Quench not the Spirit” and “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, chere is liberty” carry the significance that think- ing Christianity is to have its rights within believing Christianity. ‘The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle Renunciation of thinking is a dectara ton of spiritual bankruptcy. Out of My Life and Thought ‘The highest knowledge is to know that we are surounded by mystery. Profound uth knows no arrogance. All profound eligion is mystical. Christianity and World Religions Thoughts For Meditation Ethical mysticism humbly leaves unan- swered the question in what manner the World-Spirit exists within the poor human spirit and in it attains to consciousness of itself. 1c only holds to the fact that dhe poor human spirit, by leaving behind its existence for self alone in the service of devotion to other life, experiences union with the World-Spirit and thereby be- comes enriched and finds peace. Indian Thought Only an infinitesimal part of infinite being can ever be affected by my person- ality. AML the rest floats past me utterly in- ferent to my existence, like faraway ships to which I make futile signals. But in giving myself for the sake of that which comes within my tiny circle of influence, and which has need of my help, I realize the inner spiritual self-surrender to etersal being and thus enrich and lend meaning to my poor existence. The river has rejoired the ocean. Philosophy of Civilization tis not through knowledge, but through experience of the world dat we are brought into relation with it. All thinking which penetrates to the depths, ends in ethical ‘mysticism, What is rational is continued into the nonrational. The ethical mys. ticism of reverence for life is rationalism, thought to a conclusion. Out of My Life and Thought Ethics must make up its mind to bise itself on mysticism. But mysticism, on its side, must never suppose that it exists (or its own sake, It is not the blossom itself, but only the green calyx which is its support. ‘The blossom is ethics. Mysticism which exists for its own sake is the salt which nas lost its savor. Philosophy of Civilization UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIS REGISTER-LEADER, JANUARY, 1965 Edited By Jacob Trapp ‘The ethic of reverence for life com strains all, in whatever walk of life they may find themselves, to busy themselves intimately with all the human and vital processes which are being played out around them, and to give themselves as men to the man who needs human help ‘and sympathy. It does not allow the scholar to live for his science alone, even if he is, very useful to the community in so doing. It does not permit the artist to exist only for his art, even if he gives inspiration to many by its means. It refuses to let the businessman imagine that he fulfills all legitimate demands in the course of his business activities, Ie demands from all that they should sacrifice a portion of their ‘own lives for others. Let no one measure himself in this re- speet against someone else. The destiny of ‘man has to fulfil itself in a thousand ways, s0 that goodness may be actualized. What every individual has to contribute remains his own secret. But we must all mutually share in the knowledge that our existence only attains its crue value when we have experienced in ourselves the truth of the declaration: “He who loses his life shall find Philosophy of Civilization ‘Thoughtless injury to life is incompat- ible with real ethics, If a man has been touched by the ethic of reverence for life, he injures and destroys life only under a necessity he cannot avoid, and never from thoughtlessness, Out of My Life and Thought ‘Whenever my life has given itself out in any way for other life, my eternal willto- live experiences union with the eternal, since all life is one. I possess a cordial which keeps me from dying of thirst in the desert of life. Philosophy of Civilization Y