Magyar Egyház, 1957 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1957-01-01 / 1. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 Churches in the Hungarian Catastrophe World Council Officers Issue Appeal for Hungary (Geneva, Nov. 5)—Three leaders of the World Council of Churches, in New York, London and Geneva, have said that “Christians throughout the world are profoundly shocked and sorrow-stricken at the tragic reversal suffered by the Hungarian people who had clearly asserted their desire for freedom and independence in national and church life.” The three signatories are officers of the world body’s Central Committee: Dr. Franklin Clark Fry (New York), chairman; Dr. Ernest Payne (London), vicechairman; and WCC general secretary, Dr. W. A. Visser’t Hooft, Geneva. The statement was sent immediately to the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The full text of the statement on the Hungarian disaster reads: “Christians throughout the world are profoundly shocked and sorrow-stricken at the tragic reversal suffered by the Hungarian people, who had clearly asserted their desire for freedom and independence in national and church life. The chairman and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and the Council’s general secretary call to the attention of the member churches the immediate relevance of certain statements in the appeal to churches and governments adopted by the Evanston Assembly. They refer particularly to the claim that fear and suspicion cannot be replaced by respect and trust unless powerful nations remove the yoke which now prevents other nations and peoples from freely determining their own government and form of society. We urge the member churches to continue to seek this objective. As also stated at Evanston, Christians must stand together with all who, in the struggle for freedom, suffer pain and trial. Our unity in this fellowship will remain unbroken whatever happens and will also find expression in prayer for the people of Hungary in their hour of trial and for the churches in their witness to our crucified and risen Lord.” World Council General Secretary’s Message Before renewed fighting broke out in Hungary on November 3, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches sent a message to the three member churches of the World Council in Hungary; Lutheran, Reformed and Baptist. The message said: “At the time when, God willing, a new era begins in the life of your churches I desire on behalf of the World Council to send you an expression of our profound hope that in that new day the work of the churches may be abundantly blessed by God. “We have been keenly aware of the deep spiritual struggles through which so many of you have had to go in these last years. We rejoice in the fact that so many have remained faithful in their Christian witness and in their adherence to the cause of Christ. We are particularly glad that the men who are taking the lead in your churches are men who have shown that they put their Christian loyalty before any other consideration. “The new situation will bring great opportunities but there will also be great problems. We desire to assure you that we want to do everything we can in EPIPHANY Epiphany is a word that does not mean very much to most Protestants in America, but it is a very important day in the Church Year. The day of the Epiphany is set at January 6th, and was, in fact, set before the date of Christmas. It is the day on which we remember the visit of the three Eastern kings to the Christ-child. The date, set by the ancient Church Fathers, is not definitely the day of their arrival at the manger in Bethlehem. Nowhere in the Bible does it state when they did arrive. But this date was selected that this occasion might be remembered. The way it was selected is not wholly unusual, because the date of Christmas was just as arbitrarily set for Dec. 25th. It is not known for certain on what day Christ was bom since it too is not recorded in Biblical, church, or secular history. The actual date is of no particular importance to the Christian. The only important factor is that he WAS born, and on this one day of the year we give recognition to that sacred fact. So it is with the date of Epiphany. It is more than just a date on the calendar. Up to the time of the birth of Christ, the special revelation of God to mankind was through the nation of the Jews. However, these three Magi were Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews). Thus, the significance of the day is that it commemorates the revelation to the Gentiles that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. To the American Protestant it expresses two important conditions. Firstly, being Gentiles — not of Jewish blood — it is an occasion for thankfulness to God, that He saw fit in His great love to reveal Himself to all men, the Hungarian ancestors and their children’s children among them, as well as to the Jews. As Paul expresses it, there is no longer Jew or Gentile in the eyes of God. He has opened in His beloved Son a place for all men in His nation Israel. The old Israel is no more, since all His faithful are citizens of His new- Israel. Christians are the new-Israel. since the Jews have rejected his kingdom. And all non-Christians must now be considered “Gentiles”. Since the Kingdom of God is for them too, it is the necessary duty of Christians *0 reveal Christ to them also. The season of Epiphany, therefore, is one in which the Christian churches traditionally re-dedicate themselves to their work among the Gentiles, those non- Christians in every community of the United States as well as those in all the lands of the earth. Epinhany is a magnificent day in the life of the American Protestant, for its personal and world-wide meanings. It is a call to offer thanksgivings, and it is a challenge to greater missionary service. The prayer of every one might be, “I thank thee Lord for making thyself known to the Gentiles, and therefore to me. Grant that it may not be my sin that any man should be denied salvation, and die in damnation, because I was too unconcerned or too selfish to do my part in making Christ known to him.” Rev. Albert W. Kovács 316 Church Street Minersville, Pa. helping you to meet these opportunities and to solve these problems. “May the Lord be with you in these coming weeks and months.” Dr. W. A. Visser’t Hooft
