Reformátusok Lapja, 1970 (70. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1970-05-01 / 5. szám

10

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

INSTALLATION ADDRESS OF REV. DR. JOSEPH ZSÍROS

April 19, 1970, Flint, Mich.

Dear Christian Friends,

We must not forget that with this “space age” in which we are living, we have arrived at a new turning point of times. The philosophy of this new era neglects and nullifies the unselfish services of the fathers and it builds a new pedestal of selfishness and brutality. If the representatives of our spiritual world: ministers, teachers and educators will not stand fast on their posts where the good Creator placed them to be the servants of His truth; equally available for heavenly beings and earthly creatures; if their faith in God will turn into a vain admiration of the greatness of human productions; if they will oppose science and faith against their own natures as enemies of one another; we will slowly lose first the souls of our children, then the world, too, which we wished to gain for them. For that is the truth that the Spirit is able to create a world, but the world cannot give us spirit. Therefore, our most urgent duty is to keep the living water of the wells of our hearts clear; the water of the wells of positive faith and ever active Christian love. This believing love produced and will always produce wondrous things. It makes the poor rich; the weak strong; the helpless brave and the ignorant wise. It is good to know that this wicked and sinful world needs this poor, timid, weak, helpless and ignorant people for whom the Grace of God (Gratia Dei) is sufficient; for His “strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Cor. 12:9). It is the will of God that in our churches we may bring up a new generation of believers: faithful lifemates and parents; unselfish public workers; humble teachers and highly educated uninfluencable lawyers, politicians and unimpeachable ministers; honest businessmen and righteous sociologists; judges; self-sacrificing chemists and physicians; independent, free citizens and brave soldiers who are not shaken among mortal dangers, whom no power is able to turn away from the service of truth, in whose lives all the despots of our world can see the idea of the Roman poet, Horatius, realized: “Si fractus illabatur orbis, impavidum ferient ruinae” though the world — broken into pieces — falls upon them, they remain unwounded under the ruins.

To the endangered Greek tribes, one Spartan was always sent as a military aid (aid-de-camp) whose presence meant that Sparta stands behind with its soldiers. The Holy Church of Jesus Christ cannot have a greater and more important mission today than to send her well- armed children as the resolute servants of our scientific and spiritual life to all the imperiled posts of America to save the future life of this nation .... and to watch over the freedom of mankind.

The good result of this mission is assured in one way; if all the members of our churches will be faithful to the ancient Christian faith, standing fast at the main source, Jesus Christ. He is the deepest, bottomless, hidden and divine Well. “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Cor. 2:9) He is the eternal and only source of faith, hope and love; sacrifice, peace and joy; purity, wisdom and holiness .... Let us open and offer our empty, thirsty souls to Him, that He may fill them with His almighty, omniscient and perfect Spirit!

TESTIMONIAL REMARKS FOR DR. ARTHUR MOOR

Ligonier, Pa., April 28, 1970

I believe it was shortly before the Synod Meeting of 1962 that I received a call from Dr. Stephen Szabó. He was the president of the Synod, I, the chairman of the Nominating Committee. He urged me to find a replacement in the Synod Council for the Presbyter-at-large member and had also expressed his preference for Arthur Moor. Arthur has been on the Synod Council ever since, either as a regular member or legal advisor as now, filtering his wisdom and faith and so much of his Christian gentleman-like character down through the blood-vessels of our synodical life, so making it vigorous and zestful, practical but beneficial to all that belong to the fellowship, either as a leader or member, person or church. It was the recognition of this fact that has brought Arthur tonight into the lime-light of special honor and homage which we are more than delighted to pay him.

Just to begin with, he was born in Zagreb, started his schooling in Vienna. You might say, he started out in life to be a cosmopolitan. That’s what he has been and is. He can converse, write and read in four modern languages. You mention a masterpiece, painting or statue in almost any European museum, he saw it; mention any leaders of nations before or after the war, he knows more about them than a politician or even a historian. He even met some of them. If you’d like to see a historical place, a city with historical background or a famous resort place, he was there. Respect for his leadership quality did not escape the attention of other nationalities. He was the president of the International Committee of Political Refugees and Displaced Persons in Munich after World War II. As a refugee, he never accepted “handouts” but gained the confidence of the American occupational force so much as to be given a position.

But all this leads us into the life he led as a patriot. He has been a good patriot, but never ultra-nationalist or chauvinist. At the outbreak of the war, he did not particularly care to be a fighting soldier. When he had to, he became the best one, much decorated and wounded at several fronts. Before becoming one of the most eminent attorneys, he worked for the government in various responsible positions, he was the confidant of high governmental officials, and the only reason he didn’t become a congressman or head of a ministry was because he had no such ambition. He has loved his country not by words but by deeds and services often rendered free. In 1951, he emigrated to America through the sponsorship of the Presbyterian church At an age when some begin to think of retiring, he enrolled in the college of law at Northwestern University; graduated with honors and a doctor’s degree. He achieved it by holding a job, working while not attending school. So he pursues and makes a living here in the profession in which he started out at home.