Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HOP Vol XX,Special Number 3 968 No 2

(07899)- 118 -It is, however, not only in individuals hut also in the communities that the-Holy Spirit-carries on his work. He rallies the people of God from the whole world of humanity. The church is no local or particular phenomenon in the-world hut a meeting place for all the races, nations, cultures and social strata in the world. The human varieties and differences are not obliterated in the Church, yet their antagonism ceases and harmony is established; the weü-ordered world of men, the human "cosmos" comes into being. Also With respect to race eolations. the Church is the place where we are to experience the foretaste of the new creation. In Jesus Christ, this centre of history,^) the disorder of man is overcome so that we receive the gift., and at the same time, the task' of well-ordered social life* None of Christ's gifts is a more resting pillow hut always an incentive of action. The pneumatic unity of the Church not only cancels racial discrimination within her fellowship hut also impels us to witness to the possibility of unity and to radiate into the world the power we have received to overcome the separation caused by our differences, It is in this way that the power of the spirit given to us to solve the problem of race relations become s a healing farce in the life of the world by our faith "which worketh by love" (G-alatians 5; 6),

If the churches prove .slothful servants in their stewardship of the talents entrusted to them, then even that which they think to have will be taken away from tiiem. Their whole institution of worship will become void of meaning if they cannot or váll not serve the world with what they have received from God.

e) The Task of the Church dr Pelation to the Racial Problem l)

l) The Church is to give close and constant attention, from the right angle, to the racial problem* The proper assessment of ehe problem is the first step in offering her solidarity and real help. The members of the church cannot be indifferent to this problem and cannot say that they ere not interested in matters which are extra muros. As we have said, the racial problem in our country is not so urgent and explosive as in other lands, of the world where people live on the top of volcanoes which uny eiupt ary time to destroy whole societies. Hence it is a matter of humility and disc dp line for us not to be engrossed by our own specific problems and become indifferent to what goes on in other parts of the world* We, too, without becoming "busybodie s in other men’s matters", and within the limits of accessibility, should try to be informed about the racial problem and its developments espeed-ally in those parts of the world where this question is of a special urgency* We must become familiar with the argument s and counterarguments on this issue and must have all the available data which are necessary for a realistic orientation in this field. We must read books published on this subject in the country and abroad and avail ourselves of the services cf the mass media of"' communication* Only the well-informed church