Probably between 80% and 90% of the boys and girls here
were born in the Argentine, although you have nearly all British names,
and will grow up to speak of England or Scotland or Ireland as "home".
Still you are, by Argentine law, Argentines, and later on the boys will
have to serve their year in the Argentine Army. You are growing up as
"hombres de dos paises" — citizens of two countries. How are you going to
be the best citizens of both countries? I should not like you to grow up
saying that A,—Argentina,—is better than B,—Britain,
—or
that B is better than A. It is you and I who are our country. So a better
country means better men and better women. But you have two countries!
Well, perhaps this will help you.
You can all see that I wear spectacles. I have to look at life through two
glasses. Now if the right glass made my right eye look straight forward,
and the left glass made my left eye look straight forward, I would see
nothing clearly — everything would be mixed up. The glasses help to focus
my eyes, and to throw the picture back on the right spot on the retina of
each eye.
So I want your Argentine eye and
your British eye to meet at a point where the whole world’s first
Gentleman stands —Jesus Christ. Focus your two eyes on Him if you want to
be the best citizens of here and home.
What picture do you see when you
read and hear of Him — what things do you clearly notice?
You see KINDNESS. That word has the
same derivation as the word Kin — Kindred. So to be kind is to remember
that all are your kindred. The young are kindred to the old, the poor to
the rich, the healthy to the sick, the white to the black. That is why
Scouts and Guides do their kind turn every day.
You see HUMILITY. Although Christ
was the Son of God, although He was so powerful that He could do anything,
you remember how most of His companions were not Captains and Kings and
well-known people. He seemed to be mostly amongst fishermen, and working
women drawing water at the wells, and farming folks who lived in little
ranchos. You never heard of Christ boasting about Himself, did you?
You see something too which seems to
cover everything else and which hasn’t got an exact word. We call it
simply "GOOD FORM". When you leave this country for a holiday, you need to
get a certificate from the police — a certificate of buena conducta — good
conduct. Unless you get this, you cannot return. But good form is
something much deeper and finer than good conduct — it is something right
in your heart— it is just your real self. The late King Edward was once
sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and he sent a wireless message suddenly
that he was to call at one of the port towns of Italy. The Italian people
laid down a long carpet on the pier where he was to land. The carpet was
just a little short, so they covered the last bit of the pier with an
Italian flag. When King Edward landed, he walked along the carpet, but
when he came to the flag, he stopped. He then stepped on one side and
raised his hat. How the Italian crowd cheered. They never forgot it.
So, today, when we began our Service by singing Oid
Mortales, and when, at the close, we sing God save the King, we’ll all try
to remember whom to follow first if we are to be the best Argentines and
the best Britons. Jesus Christ our Lord.
Remember, too, He is willing to help you. Ask Him, for
you need His help.
