Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it.

Harry Emerson Fosdick, a prominent early-20th-century American Protestant preacher associated with the Social Gospel and liberal theology, repeatedly addressed Christianity’s responsibilities amid rapid modern change—industrialization, urban poverty, war, and shifting social norms. This line reflects his recurring insistence that faith should be an active moral force in public life rather than a private refuge. In sermons and lectures aimed at mainline congregations wrestling with “modernity,” Fosdick argued that Christians should not be passive spectators of history but agents who shape it—pressing for reforms, justice, and humane social arrangements as an expression of discipleship.

Fosdick’s line frames Christianity as an active, reforming force rather than a passive refuge. “Endure change” suggests mere survival amid social and intellectual upheaval; “profit by it” suggests adaptation for self-preservation. By contrast, “cause it” casts Christian discipleship as morally responsible agency—initiating transformation in personal character and in public life. The statement fits Fosdick’s broader liberal Protestant emphasis on applying faith to modern problems (poverty, war, injustice) and treating religion as a dynamic power for social betterment. It also implies that tradition is not an excuse for inertia: fidelity to Christ is measured by constructive action that reshapes the world toward ethical ideals.