Magyar News, 1997. szeptember-1998. augusztus (8. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1997-12-01 / 4. szám
the general public. Yes there were fears about the dictatorship and the constructed trials of innocent people and bishops and cardinals, but there was no desire whatsoever to take up arms or to engage in any form of diplomatic or military effort to free the oppressed other half of Europe. The last thing that President Eisenhower wanted was to rock the boat right before elections and appear belligerent.Such activity would have contradicted his "Peace and Prosperity" program. What we dreaded, became a reality on the night of October 23. The people, young and old, rich and poor, well educated and lesser educated rose up with one accord against the foreign occupiers and their henchmen. The nation was unified as never before in their thousand year history. It must also be said that it was an ethical revolution. There was no stealing or looting or wanton destruction. Only the recalcitrant torturers were eliminated. The aim of the revolution, was not directed against the Soviet Union, and it had no desire to conduct an anti-Soviet political activity. They expressed it clearly to the whole world that their intention was to live in peaceful co-existence with the Russian empire. What they wanted was merely independence and a democratic government for their country as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United Nations. They appealed to the conscience of the Western powers to do justice to Hungary. The Revolution electrified the entire world. The heroism of the people of Hungary, the bravery of the children, the early successes filled the hearts with hope and the eyes with tears. Suddenly everyone was hoping in miracles that the Revolution would be victorious. There was hope against hope that the entire world would come to the defense of the Hungarian cause. President Eisenhower, the most important authority in this whole affair, remained cautious. He was no longer thinking about “rolling back the Iron Curtain,” but rather rolling the little white ball on the green. He would not commit himself or the diplomatic apparatus of the State Department to interfere on behalf of the revolution. His main concern was still the election and the proper non-belligerent relationship with the Kremlin Added to this, Anthony Eden, the prime minister of Great Britain used the cover of the Hungarian Revolution to attack, along with Israel, President Nasser's Egypt. Eisenhower was so disturbed by this stealthy action that he lost all interest in the Hungarian happenings and turned all his anger against Eden. Since the United States would not give even diplomatic support to the brave freedom-fighters in Hungary, Russia felt free to squash the Uprising on November 4th. Even though we had anticipated this outcome, most of our fellow Hungarians did not. It took great effort to calm down our communities, wipe away the tears of frustration and anger, and to prepare for the reception of the refugees. "In the world you face anxiety." It became etched into our hearts and minds permanently. Even more so,because all revolutions in our history ended with tragic defeats. The peasant rebellion of 1514 was put down with extreme cruelty. The Rakoczy insurrection against the Hapsburgs was put down by Austrian mercenaries in 1705-1711. The great revolution of 1848 that we celebrate every March 15th was defeated by the Russian czar. We should have been used to all these disasters. Yet the disaster of 1956 was too fresh and too painful. There were 454 freedomfighters executed, 20,000 (twenty thousand) sent to jail or the Russian gulag 240,000 students and well-educated craftsmen and engineers fled the counOy who were later followed by half a million relatives and friends. Such a bloodletting for a country of 10 million people was simply devastating, not speaking about the retributions that took place during the successive months and years. "But take heart." Here we have it once again: the powerful and glorious. Butwhich we meet in so many other places in the Bible as well. Something undeniably true and unshakable is given us here to remember at all times: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Or: "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from you." Or: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Or: "The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me unto death. So in this case also: "In the world you face anxiety, but take heart." "Take heart" does not mean: just think of something else, run away from your anxiety - to some amusement or to some feverish activity or to some wild undertaking. The very attempt to run away from anxiety is useless as it is, and is regularly the cause of all evil and all new suffering. Take heart means: open your eyes and look up: to the hills from whence comes your aid - and look forward: to the few paces you can take on your way now without hindrance. And then take courage. Then even cheer up a bit — right where you are, in the middle of the anxiety which no doubt troubles you. Yes, but can we do this? Certainly not on our own resources However, everybody without exception can take heart if he listens to the Son of God and son of man who in the midst of his great anxiety, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" conquered the world and set the limit to our anxiety. And we can do this if we include ourselves to the people of our nation and recognize in them our brothers and sisters to whom we owe our e ellegience, our loyalty and service. When we no longer look at our nation in abstract terms but as individuals who are in need of our assistance and for whom we remain responsible, then peace begins to settle on our minds. As we look up to Christ and look forward to our people, whether we like or dislike them, not a mass of miscellaneous people, but a nation loved by our Lord who is the Savior of us all, blessed things begin to happen. He is proclaiming to us: "I have conquered the world. "Not you wicked men, not you good men either, not you foolish nor you clever men, not you believers nor you unbelievers. Not the brave freedomfighters, inspite of their heroism and selfsacrifice, not our enemies with their tanks, and guns, and atomic bombs, no science and no technology. “1 have done it” says the Lord. The mighty Soviet leaders were not the roaring lions about whom the letter of the Apostle Peter is writing. They proved to be not the unbelieving and strong men they pretended to be. They were just posing as the strong men they would have liked to be. The Lord conquered them without a single bullet, without the power of the sword. A great Lord was needed to do this. A strange Lord indeed,quite different from the other great Lords who claim to be able to conquer this or that continent. A Lord who was a child of poor people, was bom in a stable, was laid in a manger. He conquered the world by letting himself be delivered up for its sin and guilt. This way he snatched it from min. This way he won it for God. This way he is ready to resotre it. "I have conquered the world" -- we hear. Not: I shall do it some day' but: it is finished, it has happened. I have done it. All you need to do now is to notice, and get ready to accept the fact, that you are living in a world conquered by me — and are already men and women conquered by me. We Hungarians have to learn to trust more deeply in the Lord, to wait more patiently before jumping into battle, and starting another Revolution. We must learn the Lord conquered our enemies. Our world is based on justice and right. He will vindicate these principles and restore them and he will vindicate and restore us and our nation as we learn to trust in his grace. AMEN.
