Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1971-04-01 / 4. szám
Hungarian Reformed Religious Paper Founded in 1900 OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CALVIN SYNOD — UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (Waiter / V (eááage The life story of Jesus and His attachment to the world could be summarized in the following three concepts: cradle, cross and crown. Cradle. To fulfill God’s promise, Jesus came to us as a child, for a child is usually received with more gladness. His birth was gloriously proclaimed, but when He arrived, only a manger was offered to Him. The angels announced His coming, and the star was showing the way to Him, and those who came to see Him, received happiness and contentment. Cross. The cross is the symbol of His service. There were many who received the great Master, others rejected Him, they remained unbelieving. They misunderstood, misinterpreted and denied Him. The reward for His teaching, healing and miracles was His capture, flogging, mocking, the road to Golgotha and crucifixion. Even His grave was sealed. How many times have we made His load heavier with our doubting, and luke-warm behavior even though He suffered because of us and for us! Crown. The cradle and the cross are the symbols of His humiliation, while the crown is the symbol of His glory. He did not remain in the grave, He has risen as He foretold it. His resurrection is the beginning of His glory, victory and rule which is continued by His ascension reaching the peak bv His sitting on the right hand of God. There He rules the heavens and the earth forever. Come and worship Him that He might share with us His glory. Francis Vitéz-------------*• ^ •*------------DESIDERATA I & II Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly: and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. * Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. * Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. *Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. *Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. *You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees or stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. *Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. *With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. In whatever religion you have been taught, however you have been brought up, and however you have understood your teachers ... on these levels you will understand and grasp this message. It is not enough that this message be believed. It is a message to believed. *The essence of Universal Religion is Peace and Truth, with Love for and kindness to all the creatures of the earth. Now is the time to express this essence in your own life. A beginning must be made, and the place to begin is with and in yourself. You would reform the world? Begin with yourself, brother! The message of the unreformed reformer seldom inspires reformation. *The heart of all Religion is Love. And Righteousness, which is Love in action, is the fulfillment of Religion. Love not only family and friends! — for Love limited is Love denied. *Seek peace within yourself and seek, too, within yourself the Divine Breath of Life. * Persist in these things! Do not let up for a single moment! Through your faith and through your deeds you shape your life and help shape the lives of others, as well. What a responsibility! *The Spirit finds in you its agent and also its partner, and to the degree that you are aware of this and act on it, your life is enriched. * A revelation will occur to you ... a revelation higher than your most exalted dreams. * The New Age is coming, and in it there will be a realization of the Oneness of all. Differences between various Religions T T
