Calvin Synod Herald, 2010 (111. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2010-07-01 / 7-8. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 7 Where Did I Come From? "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me. ’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. ” - Jesus Luke 15:11-14 Once upon a time a little girl asked her mother, “Mommy, where did I come from?” Mom thought it might be time to tell her about the birds and the bees, so she went into a long explanation. After she finished, the girl in a voice of exasperation said, “Mommy, 1 didn’t mean that. Susie said she came from Woodbridge. Where did I come from?” We all came from someplace. You did, and I did too. I was bom in Woodbridge, one of America’s oldest towns. It was officially chartered in 1669, more than a hundred years before the Revolution. Two hundred years later, after the Civil War, a local historian deplored the pathetic state of affairs that had come about: "In the natural order of things, therefore, our destiny is one of steady progress. Obstacles may prevent our development, such as the lack of public spirit among our leading men, a lax morality, anti-Christian influences, and a degenerate population. To some extent these opposing forces are already among us - especially the lax morality among our young people. . . . Growing up among us are many fine-looking young men, strong, self-reliant and ambitious. The late war for the Union despoiled many homes of the bravest and best, and our public gatherings were dreary enough for a while, we missed them so. Some of them returned and we were glad to see them back again; but some sank to the grave on Southern fields and unknown hands performedfor them the hasty rites of burial. In the stillness of deserted wilds and faraway battlefields some of them rest today. Those were brave young men. Shall the generation which follows them be less so?. . . the hope for the future is in our young people. Will they betray it? It is for them to decide. To love God and to do good constitute the noblest life a man can hope for ... it is the only one that brings no disappointment. ” He Has Gone Up On High Continued from page 6 When individually, or as a body of believers, we come to Him we bring nothing strange, nothing foreign, nothing surprising. Ascension is the completion of redemption. As the 8th century prophet declared of ebed Yahweh, “He was wounded for our transgressions. . . and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5a,c) Thanks be to God! Amen. David B. Bowman, Pli.D The Holy Scriptures challenge us often to think about personal introspection and repentance. But as God has placed us in families, we are also bound in churches, communities and nations. So our well-being is directly related to others as all around us live their lives. Our leading men also betray public trust in corrupt dealings in the capitols of our states and nations. Media informs us of lax morality among them, with even more among movie and music idols, sports stars, and the clergy. Younger people are cohabiting and skipping marriage, as many older folk also to avoid the loss of pension funds. Even little children are compelled to make judgments they are too young and inexperienced to decide about same-sex unions, as schools press their values upon them in the name of toleration, even of the biblically intolerable. The Prodigal’s Journey Jesus’ story of the younger son certainly implies that things at his home were quite ample for living a good life. He had all he needed - but not all he wanted. As the rock ‘n roller says, “7 ain’t got no satisfaction! ” What was his motivation to leave? It’s only a story, but we can surmise perhaps the grass was greener on the other side of the street. He may have envied the immoral libertines who satisfied the lusts of their raging hormones, out of sight of parental disapproval. Then too, he might have decided to be his own boss, “After all, what makes Dad think he’s so smart to tell me what to do? And older brother too!” His journey took him away from home and new doors opened before him. But behind all too many were great disappointments, and when the circumstances of life went downhill, with no family around for support, he suffered the loss of all he had, going from wealth to poverty. He had left home with cocksure confidence, and broken in spirit he found hunger, fear and humiliation. Homeward Bound It is a road we have all walked. Yet those who have known the Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep have not walked it alone. As the son’s memory recalled better days at home, our spirits are guided by our catechetical days, and the words of the Heidelberg: ' What is your only comfort in life and in death? - That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.... ” And so, broken no more, we are buoyed up by the words of Jesus, that if we go home our Father will welcome us with open arms, just like before! It is His love that does not pass away, but believes in us, hopes for us, and endures for us, even His other Son’s death for us. We now begin the journey home, with new lives lived in gratitude as we “show ourselves thankful to God for His blessing. . . and by our godly walk may win others also to Christ. ” Rev. Albert W. Kovács, Pastor Hungarian Reformed Church Johnstown-Windber, Pa.
