Magyar Egyház, 1964 (43. évfolyam, 3-9. szám)
1964-10-01 / 8. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 9 POLICY...........TALE R.L. HUNYADY A nation's death-struggle: Massacre! Faraway! — Was the headline for us Day before yesterday. Freedom loving people Fought against tyranny: The wolf wore a sheepskin When offered liberty. UN members were called Hastily together To debate the issue: What help would be proper? Then they pondered upon What is the protocol? Until the wolf came in And called for an encore. Wall enclosed a city! — Yesterday was the cry, And we watched on TV. — How conniving we are! — Millions were sealed in. Oh, there was no bloodshed, The wolf played a mean trick; Now, improved the mousetrap. Then came the assurance: We, Us, should not have fear; That wall means not a thing! With courage we must rear In mind examplary Tolerance and to show That we are good neighbors. We haven’t even a foe. Kitty Genovese’s Thirty-eight good neighbors Crying for help today. — Were there, not faraway. While Kitty’s blood painted The sidewalk crimson red, Thirty-eight good neighbors Vowed to be not bothered! Poor Kitty! a decent... A little bit of fluff... Prey of circumstances That put us in a huff Of sheer indignation, Very close to horror. True, this never drove wolves Away from any door. What is in store for us Tomorrow: we, behold! The wolf may at pleasure Enter our own household To plunder, rape and kill Among those who are dear To the very heart of You, me. Then ...? Shall we jeer: After all, a nation, A city and a lass ... What can we do? It’s hell! Let’s forget the whole mess ...? Korea, Hungary, Tibet, Cuba, Berlin, Laos, South Viet Nam, Keiv Gardens. — We can’t win. In spite of past blunders On our rights we do stand Worthy of heritage Of this free, blessed land, Joining the honor-bound And the integrity Of the Founding Fathers Who built up the Country. Trust this generation Of leisure, affluence With stamina and guts, Faith in God, common-sense! We shall stand up to man And smash all that enthrall Not talk, wait timidly. They can’t bury us all. DEZSŐ ÁBRAHÁM: THE LIVING CALVIN AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE EASTERN AREA ELDERS’ CONFERENCE IN BETHLEHEM, PA., OCTOBER 25 John Calvin, who was born (1509) and educated in France and lived most of his life in Geneva, Switzerland, never went to Hungary, or any other Middle European country. Yet, through the powerful influence of the great reformation movement in the Christian Church, left one of the most lasting influence upon Christianity in Hungary, and is living in the heartts and minds and souls of the Magyar people today. Calvin’s teaching and the great reformation movement spread like fire in the sixteenth century not only in Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland and Scotland, but also in the far away Great Plain of the Danubian Basin surrounded by the majestic Carpathian mountains where the Hungarians lived. So much so, that in a short time most of the Hungarians became followers of the Reformation. Calvinist became a well known nick-name for reformed Christians in Hungary. Calvinism was not maintained by the royal and military power of one or another potentate or king, but rather it grew naturally by the grace of God, through its appeal to biblical ideas. Calvinism has left its characteristic mark on nations, educational, cultural, social and political life, even where the Reformed Church did not become the majority in a country. The impact of Calvinism was so great and important that you can speak about John Calvin, the humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, as if he would be alive today. He was born in 1509, died in 1564, four centuries ago, yet he lives even today. Let us see how. First of all Calvin placed his teaching and life and the future of the church solely upon the Holy Scripture. Like Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Luther, and the other reformers, he considered everything from his Biblecentered viewpoint. Over against the traditions which the Roman Catholic Church cherished, and the teachings of church fathers and authorities, this stalwart servant of God can best be characterised as the Man of the Bible! How he loved the Scriptures can be seen in the lights of his written works: his Commentaries to the whole Bible, his famous Institutes, his Letters, and smaller works, all bespeak of his love, respect, and obedience to he Word of God. Oh, how many times, the reformers must have heard the saying: “leave the bible alone!” “reading it simply breeds unrest!”, but as they expressed their devotion and love for the Holy Scriptures, it became The Book in the hand of the people. The Bible was translated into various languages, and after the German, English, French and Dutch translations, the whole Bible appeared in printed form in 1590 in Hungary. Calvin and the reformers placed strong emphasis on the biblical Christian faith, that Christians must believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Writ. The Bible
