Magyar Egyház, 1991 (70. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1991-11-01 / 6. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 9. oldal who knew some Hungarian. Lukas told them about the earth and about the language of the trees and how the little calf was born. The girls first giggled and said he was funny but eventually turned away from him. Once Lukas heard a girl says to his roommate, ‘Do not bring this bore along next time.’ So he didn’t go. Although the girl was very pretty... One day as he was going home from work, a soccer-ball hit him as he crossed the street. He looked around to see where to return it. A small boy was waving to him, “Here!” Lukas kicked the ball lightly and wanted to continue on his way. But the ball came back right away, “Kick it harder!” — the small boy shouted. Lukas stayed there for quite a while kicking the ball back and forth. “I’m Little Joe,” the boy introduced himself. In the course of the broken conversation it turned out that Little Joe’s father was also Hungarian but he himself didn’t speak very much. “I better teach you American if we want to be friends. Do you want to be my friend? My ball friend?” Lukas eagerly answered: “Oh, yes. Ball friend ...” And so the friendship began; about two weeks before Christmas. Every afternoon they had their ball-play and their English lesson. Yesterday Little Joe told Lukas that they couldn’t play too much this afternoon. It would be Christmas Eve’s afternoon and Little Joe would go out caroling with his Sunday School. Would Lukas want to come along? “I’m too old.” “No, you aren’t. And there are some cute girls, too.” Girls? To call him a bore if he starts conversation. Lukas didn’t want to hurt Little Joe. “I don’t know yet. We see. O.K.?” He couldn’t say that he didn’t know any carols either. “But we still can play a little.” And so came this afternoon of Christmas Eve’s day. What a horrible afternoon. They began playing. Lukas kicked the ball, it zoomed past Little Joe, the boy jumped and ran right onto the path of a car turning into the street. Joe screamed and as he was hit by the car he rolled away toward the sidewalk. The car first screached from braking hard then sped away without stopping. Little Joe was lying on the street with the ball clutched to his chest. Lukas panicked — where to turn, what to do? At a sudden impulse he gathered up Little Joe in his arms and ran towards the hospital just a block and a half away. He kicked in the main door and shoved the child into the arms of a nurse. He couldn’t utter a sound. Now he was looking at the child sleeping on the hospital bed. Again he began to whisper: “Little Joe, please, be well. Dont leave me. You’re all I have. You’re my brother.” He turned around as if he was looking for something. “What can I do to make him well? The doctor said something about God. What if I pray? But I never prayed. What shall I say to God? God, where are you? God, who are you? I don’t know you, I haven’t heard of you except from the curses, ‘God, damn you!’ God, I don’t want you to damn Little Joe. You must heal him. Can you? God, did you ever have a child? Have you ever been lonely? If you were, you will understand why I don’t want to be lonely anymore. I want Joe to live. He is such a good little boy. What can I give you, God? I don’t know what you like but I’ll give you everything I have. Myself if you want me. But, please, God, please, make Little Joe well again. I love him so much.” Between the broken whispers and sobs and through his tearflooded eyes Lukas saw Little Joe open his eyes and his lips move. He fell on his knees at the bedside trying to hear what Little Joe was saying. It was barely audible but Lukas heard it all: “Lukas, where is my ball?” His friend, his brother was alive. As if a child had been born. Just for Lonely Lukas. The miracle of Christmas came along once more. Now to Lonely Lukas. Although he didn’t know yet that it was the miracle of Christmas. Dr. Andrew Harsqnyi ----------------* »»---------------------FAREWELL TO THE REVEREND KÁLMÁN ADORJÁN September 29th, Sunday, 1991 was the sad day of farewell to the Rev. and Mrs. Kálmán Adorján in the Trenton, NJ church. In the morning he preached his farewell sermon as pastor of the church for 10 years. We quote from the bulletin his “good bye” message: “It seems to me, that only yesterday I came here and now it is time to say ‘GOOD BYE’ to the members of the congregation. It is possible, that I will not be here in flesh but let me assure everyone, that a part of my soul will remain here in Trenton, Nj. I take with me thousands of memories. I remember the moments of joy but also the moments of pain. As I say good bye in the name of my wife and myself, I have only one request: that you love each other and work for God and this church. We thank you for the love shown toward us and simply say: ‘Good Bye,’ if not on this earth, we shall meet before the Lord! On behalf of the congregation we pray, that the good Lord will bless the retirement years of the Rev. and Mrs. Kálmán Adorján with lots of good health. Á.D.----------------^ * >-------------------New Revised Standard Version of the Bible Receives Roman Catholic "Imprimatur" The New Revised Sandard Version of the Bible received the Roman Catholic Church’s “imprimatur.” It means that Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians in the United States now will be able to hear and study the Bible in the same contemporary language. The NRSVB was completed in 1990 after 15 years of work by a team of 30 scholars assembled by the National Council of Churches. The Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the NCC said: “Now we can truly say that the NRSVB is becoming the ‘people’s Bible’ ... No single event since the Second Vatican Council will do more to strengthen ecumenical ties.” On October 16 the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops also granted an imprimatur to the NRSVB. Similar actions are expected from Roman Catholic church authorities in England and in Australia. Hungarian Reformed Churches in America using the English language will have a choice to use the NRSVB or the King James Version or any other translation (like the New English Bible). A.H.
