Magyar Egyház, 2005 (84. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2005-10-01 / 4. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 7. oldal Chorepiskopos Georgios of Arsinoe), the Church of Greece (Prof. Dr. Vlassios Fidas, Prof. Dr. Christos Voulgaris), the Church of Poland (Prof. Andrzej Ku*ma) and the Church of Albania (Bishop Ilia Katre of Philomelion). Mr. Caliopie Papacioc served as secretary to the Orthodox Co-Chair. The Reformed delegation was composed of: Rev. Prof. Iain Torrance (Church of Scotland, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, USA), Rev. Dr. Habib Badr (National Evangelical Union of Lebanon, Beirut), Rev. Dr. Carnegie Samuel Calian (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, USA), Rev. Dr. Edgar Moros Ruano (Seminario Evangélico Unido de Teológia, Madrid, Spain), Dr. Vuadi Vibila (United Evangelical Mission, Germany), Prof. Dr. Michael Weinrich (Theological Faculty of the University of Bochum, Germany), Prof. Dr. Dawn DeVries (Presbyterian Church USA), Rev. Dr. Karel Blei (Reformed, Haarlem, the Netherlands), Prof. Phee-seng Kang (Reformed, Hong Kong, China), and Dr. Odair Pedroso Mateus (WARC staff, Geneva, Switzerland). At the end of the meeting the two commissions adopted a common statement on the Catholicity and Mission of the Church. The next session of the Orthodox-Reformed dialogue will take place in 2007. Its theme will be the final words of the Creed of Nicea-Constantinople: "We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." John P. Asling Executive Secretary, Communications World Alliance of Reformed Churches web: www.warc.ch The Light of the World John 8:12-20. Have you ever thought what it would be like in a world in which there is no light ? That’s the world of blind people. Many of them have learned to accept the fact that they are forever cut off from many of the normal and lovely parts of life. A curtain has been rung down between them and the glory of sunrise and sunset, the smiles of those they know and love, the grandeur of the mountains, and the beauty of flowers. Let us think, then, of a world in which no light existed at all. There would be no sun, no moon, nothing to tell day from night, no warmth to promote growth and life, no stars by which to chart a course. It would be a dead world. The simile of light is often applied to the spiritual world. The Psalmist said (27:1) “The Lord is my light and my salvation” and (36:9) “in your light we see light.” Isaiah (42:6 and 49:6) pictured the servant of the Lord as “a light to the Gentiles.” Proverbs 4:18 declares that “the path of the just is as the shining light.” Simeon spoke of Jesus as “a light to lighten the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). In the Gospel of John (1:4) it is said of Jesus, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” In at least three instances, Jesus spoke of himself as “light”. What did he mean by that ? We might think of it in terms of what light does. For one thing, light drives away darknes. The rising sun drives away the darkness of a sleeping world. The two things cannot exist together. Even a sputtering candle drives away the shades of night up to the limit of its strength until there is an island of light in a sea of darkness. Jesus Christ drives away the spiritual and intellectual darkness of the world; wherever he goes, there are churches, schools, hospitals, and institutions of social service. Light also enables you to walk safely by avoiding pitfalls and obstacles. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness. (John 8:12) When you are hiking in the mountains after dark, it is all too easy to lose the trail or to fall over rocks and roots. So the Psalmist (119:105) says, “ The world is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” The light shed by Jesus Christ helps you to see the obstacles and the pitfalls which are the enemies of the good life. The Gospel of John (3:21) significantly declares, “But those who de what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” If you let the light of Christ shine upon your actions, you can see more clearly the things to be avoided in order to walk on “the narrow ... way, which leads unto life” (Matthew 7:14). Light also has the characteristic that, once let lose, it can not be confined. Strike a match in the darkness, and it can be seen in all directions. Let a tiny pinpoint of light escape from the blackout curtain, and the security is spoiled. God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good. (Matthew 5:45). The light which is Christ is not meant to be put “under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house” (Matthew 5:15). Jesus Christ, once let loose upon the world, cannot be confined. His is the most universal fellowship ever known. It transcends the boundaries of race and color, of nation and economic status, of culture and education. One of the real signs of hope in our time is the increasing world fellowship of Christians. For the light of Christ will not be hid but, like the wind, “blows where it chooses” (John 3:8). Navy Chaplain May Lose Job for Praying In Name of Jesus Religious intimidation in the Armed Services has caught the attention of both houses of Congress. Due to a 1998 regulation, chaplains are not allowed to pray in the name of Jesus. "You know our soldiers and sailors, they go overseas to promote religious freedom for other people, but here in America, they can't even hear the diversity of religions from their own chaplains," said Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who is facing termination of a stellar 14-year career after his commanding officer "told a Navy board that Klingenschmitt overemphasizes his own faith system, and he was talking about my sermons and prayers, and he specifically cited the Chaplain school director who told him that I was an immature Chaplain because I pray in Jesus' name." Jim Backlin of the Christian Coalition believes the situation presents a chance for President Bush to get involved, and so far seventy-four congressmen have signed a letter asking the President to take action. Backlin says that the President can change the situation with the stroke of a pen. "We do need an executive order protecting the First Amendment rights of military chaplains and other members of the military to pray according to their faith." Family News in Focus
