Calvin Synod Herald, 1974 (74. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1974-12-01 / 12. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 3 ^11111111111111! III111 i 111111111111111111111111!!!! 11111III! 111111 i 1111 í 11111IU = The Editorial Board E E of the É The Revealing Aftermath Scripture: Luke 2:21-40 Text: Luke 2:35 CALVIN SYNOD HERALDREFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA wishes all readers a Very Blessed Christmas and New Year! E A Reformátusok Lapja szerkesztője és a szer- = E kesztő bizottság ezúton köszöni meg íróink 5 = szíves szolgálatát. E = íróinknak, olvasóinknak, és a Lap E támogatóinak = | ÁLDOTT, BÉKESSÉGES KARÁCSONYT | | BOLDOG ÚJÉVET KÍVÁNUNK! f E Szerkesztő és = = szerkesztő bizottság E niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiR Slow Me Down, Lord! Slow me down, Lord! Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory. Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep. Teach me the art of taking minute vacations — of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book. Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise, that I may know that the race is not always to the swift — that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well. Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny. “... that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” One of the most burning needs of our life is our need to know ourselves. There are precious few among us who really know the secrets of our hearts. It is such an ancient story that the Greek philosopher gave this as a lifetime program to his disciples, gnoti seauton, Learn to know yourself. One day Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, taking a walk in the gardens of the royal palace was challenged by the guard: “Stop, who are you?” He answered with a smile: “Stop I can, all right, but who am I? I don’t know. I wish someone could tell me!” Schopenhauer knew more than his Greek colleague. He knew not only that self-knowledge is an absolute necessity, but that we cannot accomplish it without some outside help. Who am I, and who are you? What dwells deep down in our dark subconscious, from which springs every thought, every word, every action? And everyone who gives an easy answer to this question, betrays the fact that he or she has not even started to think about this tough problem. There is no easy answer. The prayer of the 139th Psalm, “Search me, o God, and know my heart!” — is the prayer of a wise man, a man who has an inkling of realities. Our text this morning is part of the beautiful Song of Simeon, which he sang when the eight day old baby Jesus was presented in the temple. Old man Simeon recognizes that the child was sent . that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Christ, the light of the world — is not a new thought. He is the bringer of divine light, — the lamp unto our feet on the path of salvation, — the column of fire, leading us toward our Godgiven destiny. . all these thoughts are quite familiar to church-going people, but this is not what I wish to discuss with you. What intrigued me in this much neglected part of the Christmas story is the fact that this light — in addition to making clear a lot of outside things for us — throws its searching beam into our inner being, and makes a lot of facts visible that are hidden inside. When we get really close to the Miracle of Incarnation, our real selves come into focus, for better or worse . . That’s what happened 2000 years ago, and that’s what happens today, when, behind the phony glitter of the season we find time to stop and come face to face with the essence of Christmas. The aftermath of the Christmas encounter reveals us for what we actually are.
