Amerikai Magyar Reformátusok Lapja, 1932 (33. évfolyam, 1-53. szám)
1932-04-09 / 15. szám
8 AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA her husband had been a soldier and was away at war, and she was living with her landlady but had little else except shelter. “Have you no warm clothes?” János asked. “I sold my shawl yesterday for a few cents”, she replied. János went to the wall cupboard, rummaged about a bit, and then brought back with him an old jacket. “Look”, said he, “’tis a shabby one, but it will do to wrap up in.” The woman looked at the old jacket, then she gazed at the old man, and, taking the old jacket, fell a-weeping for her joy. “Take these”, said János, giving her two pieces of money, “and buy back your shawl”, and she could scarcely speak her thanks as he led her to the door. After the woman had gone, János took his place again by the window and worked on an on, but his eyes turned often towards the street. Presently the window was darkened and he saw an old woman, a huckster, who had taken her stand there. She carried a basket of apples and as she set them down, a boy in a ragged cap turned up and, grabbing at one of the apples, would have run away with it. But the wary old woman turned quickly around and caught him, striking him. T didn’t take it”, cried the boy, “why do you beat me? Let me go!” János ran out into the street and tried to part them. He seized the lad by the arm. “Let him go, little mother!” he cried. “Forgive him.” The old woman let him go. The lad would have run off but János held him fast. “Beg the old lady’s pardon”, he said. “I saw what you did. And don’t do such things any more.” The lad began to cry and begged her pardon. “Well, that’s all right! And now, here’s an apple for you.” János took one out of the basket and gave it to the boy. “I’ll pay you for it”, he said to the old woman. “Boys will be boys, I suppose”, said the old woman, her anger gone at János’ kindliness. She was about to shoulder her heavy basket when the lad rushed forward and said, “Give it here and I’ll carry it for you, Granny. It’s all in my way.” János followed them with his eyes until they were out of sight, found his glasses and his awl on the steps where he had dropped them and sat down to work again. He worked for a while and then could scarcely see the stitches. He put away his tools, swept up the cuttings, put away the awl, trimmed and lighted his little lamp, and took his Bible from the shelf. He wanted to find the passage where he had, last evening, placed a strip of leather by way of a marker, but he lit upon another place. And just as he opened the book he remembered his dream of yesterday evening. And no sooner did he call it to mind than it seemed to him as if some persons were moving about and shuffling with their feet behind him. Then a voice whispered in his ear: “János, János! Do you not hear me?” “Who are you?” he cried. “’Tis I”, cried the voice, “lo, ’tis I!” And forth from the dark corner stepped Samu. He smiled. It was as though a little cloud were breaking, and he was gone. “It is I”, cried the voice, and forth from the corner stepped a woman with a little child; and the woman smiled and the child laughed, and they also disappeared. And the heart of János was glad. He put on his glasses and began to' read at the place where he had opened. “And it is II” cried the voice, and the old woman and the lad with the apple stepped forth and both of them smiled, and they also disappeared. And at the top of the page János read these words: “And I was hungered and thirsty and ye gave" Me to drink. I was a stranger and ye took He in.” And at the bottom of the page read: “Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these My brethren, ye have done it to Me.” And János understood that his dream had not deceived him, and that Christ had really come to him that day, and that he had really received Him. * * * This little adapted story embodies a little of the practical application of the word, Christian, which we, as modern young people, seek. From it we realize that there is a latent Christian spirit in all of us, and that we can only find God by, first, reading the Bible to discover His desires and, then, most important, to apply them in our common, every-day activities, just as János did. Then it -becomes apparent that our acts, analyzed, are individually and collectively centered about one word — LOVE, which we, as endeavoring Christian Endeavors, are trying to develop. Chicago, West Side. Itteni egyházunk -húsvéti ünnepén, amelyről már megemlékeztünk, a 35 tagú Ifjúsági Énekkar adott elő alkalmi éneket. Ennek az Énekkarnak legfőbb ékessége, hogy a próbákról -sohasem hiányzik senki sem. Csak természetes, hogy töz a szorgalom a legjobb eredményeket mutatja föl. A hívek ünnepi adománya $51.00 volt, amelyért legyen e helyen is hálás köszönet.
