1952 Geloof en Wetenschap : Orgaan van de Christelijke vereeniging van natuur- en geneeskundigen in Nederland - pagina 137

83 action of which first was directed inwards, as between the members themselves. In our midst a natural, sincere and honest attitude was particularly emphasized. Our relations to our surroundings were to be full of understanding and sympathy towards human beings. From the beginning our Society was to work in an ecumenical spirit. Thus among the members the most varied religious groups were represented. This has never caused any difficulties, on the contrary it has in many ways enriched the field of experience of our members. As the years have gone, we have increasingly freed ourselves from the criticism of outsiders. We have found that religious life is a perfectly normal thing, its lack an anomaly. Our courage has grown and in our midst there have developed religious personalities whose influence has been felt in our action. The small meeting hall of the YWCA Hotel has been our meeting place continuously, our meetings refreshing and rich. It seems, however, that Bible study and discussion circles and other meetings organised in private homes gather more participants. Every now and then public meetings have been held, with both theologians and representatives of the medical profession as speakers. In practice we have once attempted to get acquainted with the Pentecostal movement, particularly in regard to faith healing in their midst, and once with the Oxford group movement. This was done so that several members of these groups came to our meeting and told about their experiences. With our colleagues in mission work we have kept contact by organising farewell and welcome meetings to those leaving and coming back, by reading letters from them in our gatherings, by sending them joint greetings and obviously by keeping up private correspondence as far as possible. Contacts with similar Societies in other countries have been particularly valuable and encouraging. From Denmark Chief Medical officer H. I. Schou has visited us several (times. Contact with our nearest neighbour, Sweden, has lately become livelier. Chief Medical officer Löwenhjelm has visited us twice and during the past few years several of our members have been invited to represent our Society in Sweden. We have also been happy to start personal relations with British colleagues on the occasion of a visit from Britain. We shall remember as a highly important and inspiring experience of arousing and maintaining a feeling of belonging and communing together our Society's tour through Sweden to Elsinore in Denmark, to attend the 50th anniversary of the Danish Christian Medical Society in 1947. This tour was made possible by the wonderful hospitality of our neighbouring countries in a period when limitations of exchange still were a hindrance to foreign travel. The most important means of liaison between the Christian Medical Societies of all the Northern European countries has, however, been the periodical, first called Meddelelser, later on Till kritsna Idkare — Christian Doctors. It is only right to say that this periodical has been a sort of cornerstone of our Society. It has marvellously given impulses to work and kept alive our interest towards the aim of our Society. We only regret the fact that we have been rather receiving than giving parties in this collaboration. The war years, 1939—1945, which for all the inhabitants of our country were exceedingly trying times of both external and inner tribulation, have left deep traces in us, not all of them bad ones, but many rather good ones. In the work of our Christian Medical Society this period became a turning point. Our Society had grown from childhood into maturity and more courageous action. This is partly a natural concequence of the rise and extension of spiritual life during the war. The

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