Hungarian Church Press, 1957 (9. évfolyam, 14-15. szám)

1957-11-30 / 14. szám

HCHP XI. 30,1957, VoloIX/14

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172

not only the energies of the human mind hut having also struggled in prayer in the sight of God; I have come to the conclusion that you are the man who must take over my service, I hope that the propriety of this solution - this is the only proper solution of the problem ~ will be realised also by those friends who are qualified both by God and men for this service , and that they will do everything they con in order to secure the right decision of our synod’s consistories. /

Please let me know if you would accept this difficult service, Fraying for God’s blessing on you,

László Ravasz"«

I sent the following reply:

"My dear Friend;

I thank you for your letter«.

In the first place, I gratefully remember that truly brotherly conversation with you, on the 16th of April, in the course of which you informed me of your intention to resign and your conviction that, cf the potential candidates for the bishop’s office in the Dannbian Church District I was the man to undertake this service, - provided, of course, that the consistories of our synod would also decide to this effect,, That occasion of talking with you and praying together with you called forth'the deep feeling of acquiescence ,and assurance in me that, whatever will be the graoious or severe verdict of God for me, I shall have at least one man in the synod - and 'who could mean more to me, in this respect, than you ? - who knows me to the depth of my soul and realises how resolutely I wanted to ward off this burden from me. I knew and I know now what a target I make of myself for others’ opinion aid. ’public opinion’, including even those of good will to me, not to speak of those of ill will whose number I do not wish either to overestimate or underestimate«

I have had to decide, end my decision cannot be anything else but this very humble reply to your letter; if God, too, reveals His will to confirm what you think proper, then I cannot decline this difficult service.

I would find it unnecessary to make a declaration, even in a friendly letter like this, about the service probably awaiting me, I am convinced that, after this exchange of letters, a passive role, in the literal sense of the word, will be assigned to mo* Of all the abominations of the world, J would give, at this moment, the priority of contempt to the pose of the ’bishop candidate’, with its attending activities, including even the clarification of misunderstandings. The consistories of our synod and, perhaps in the first pla.ee, our pastors may have come to know me over three decades as a man of the Church, a lover of the Gospel, and probably they may also know that whatever I have undertaken has benn meant to sei-ve the cause of the Gospel and the Reformed Church in Hungary - well or badly, only God our Judge will tell-. It would be probably in one case ally that I would have to come out of my passivity: and that would be if the political factors would interfere with the free decision of the church which, however,

I hope no one will atteupt.

You know my standpoint that I do not hold the life-long duration of the bishop’s service compatible with the fundamental principles of our Reformed Church, If God will permit, I should like to ask our General Synod to extend the