Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1971-12-01 / 12. szám

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

3

T^eace On éLcrrtli

The shepherds watched with jealous care That night on Judah’s hill;

The tender lambs were resting there Among the flocks; so still;

And some there were, so white and small, Which soon must pay the price For cleansing of the sins of all On altar’s sacrifice.

And in the stable of an inn With glory around His head,

A Lamb for all the whole world’s sin Lay in His manger bed;

And Mary watched Him, dreamy eyed, Remembering words of old —

A Savior; sin — a Lamb that died!

Of such the prophets told.

Oh, Lamb of God! From stain of sin Our hearts we would have free And humble as the place wherein Thy mother cradled Thee.

And we would hear the song again Which heralded Thy birth Ring out through all the stress and strain With peace, good will on earth.

—Clara M. Kahle

LJle (_rlristmas Jßdls

I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead; nor doth He sleep!

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The True Joy of Christmas

Almost two thousand years ago, ON THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE,' the old hostelry was crowded. From all directions and from all walks of life, PEOPLE HAD BEEN COMING TO BETHLEHEM all day long to register for the census. It was like “home-coming day.” Family members, friends and acquaintances who hadn’t seen each other for years were together again. EVERYONE WAS BUSY. So busy, in fact that though they were in Bethlehem, THÉY HAD NO EYES TÓ SEE THE LIGHTS and no ears to hear the voices in the sky. Did they forget — or did they really ever know the words of their own prophet: “and you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler, who will govern my people.” (Matt. 2:6)

IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR THE INNKEEPER too. Business had pick up considerably. EVERY ROOM WAS FILLED ... or did he have one left for a distinguished guest who might arrive late and whom he would not want to turn away? A VERY TIRED MAN AND WOMAN ARRIVED and asked for quarters. One look at the woman and the innkeeper knew that her need was great and urgent. For a fleeting moment he thought of the guest-room. But no . . . they looked poor, they probably could not pay and he wanted the money. So he told them THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM EXCEPT IN THE STABLE. The man and woman accepted the accommodations . . . and the innkeeper promptly forgot about them. DID HE - I WONDER - EVER REMEMBER THAT NIGHT?

IN A WORLD FULL OF HATRED, lack of peace, of trust and, as a result, laden with instability and unhappiness, IT WOULD BE WISE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO LOOK FOR THE LIGHTS IN THE SKY and listen for the angel voices: “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”

IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL if we would not let our hearts and souls be busy inns that have no room left for the Christ Child but open houses cf prayer and praise ready TO WELCOME HIM AS OUR LORD, THE PRINCE OF PEACE AND AS THE SAVIOR OF OUR WORLD!

IT WOULD BE WISE THIS CHRISTMAS:

to seek out a forgotten friend or foe. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. . . Mend a quarrel, share some treasure. . . Give a soft answer, find time to keep a promise. Forego a grudge, forgive an enemy. Listen. . . Apologize if you were wrong. Think first of—someone else, examine your demands on others . . . Be kind; be gentle . . . Write a love letter. Laugh a little; laugh a little more. .. Deserve