Reformátusok Lapja, 1970 (70. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1970-06-01 / 6-7. szám

Hungarian Reformed Religious Paper

Founded in 1900

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CALVIN SYNOD — UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

MARGINAL NOTES ON HUNGARIAN REMEMBERANCES

Let us confess that we Hungarians in 1970 bear again the fateful signs of division, accusation and faithlessness as we remember the events of the last half a century. There are some who purposefully forget the fiftieth anniversary of the Trianon Treaty and remember only — with thankfulness — the change which took place 25 years ago. Others wish to concentrate our attention exclusively on the injustices of Trianon and do not want to know anything about the twenty-fifth anniversary — without utter disgust. Attempts were made to use our churches for a partisan party in this battle. We consider it to be our duty to refute these attempts on the basis of our conviction that God called His church for the purpose of praising His glorious grace, rendering a ministry of reconciliation and declaring His wonderful deeds. But at the same time we deem it necessary to raise humble questions — addressed to ourselves as well as to other Hungarian Reformed brethren all around the world — which may challenge us in our faith and obedience. Particularly three questions seem to be necessary.

1. ARE WE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT OUR NATIONAL EXISTENCE DEPEND PRIMARILY ON OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD? Just as little Israel — living at the cross road of world powers — was warned by the prophetic message: “If you do not stand by God, you will not stand at all” (Isa. 7:9), our Reformed forefathers declared the same message to our ancestors in a similar situation. They considered faith and obedience to God the nation’s true security and dared to see the tragic circumstances in Biblical terms. National events such as death of a leader, defeat on the battle field, disasters in the cities, etc. served as opportunities to proclaim God’s Word; just as Biblical events such as David’s prayer, Hannah’s song, the Babylonian captivity carried His message to understand issues of their national fife. True faith and unconditional obedience to the living God of the Bible was considered the surest road to national survival. Do we have the same mind in us when we look at the events of our nation in the twentieth century? Do we believe that the future belongs to those who make a covenant with the Lord of life and death? This is the first question!

2. The second question can be phrased as follows: DO WE BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE SMALL NATIONS, BUT IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE BIG NATIONS AS WELL GOD HAS THE LAST WORD? If we see only the “vae victis” (woe to the vanquished), we do not see the total message of God’s Word. The prophets dared to declare also woes to the victors who did not consider themselves servants of God (Jer. 27:6, Dan. 2:37-38). “Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger” — we read in Isaiah (10:5), because “the rod wielded Him who lifted it” (10:15). God always punishes the arrogant boasting of any ruler who sets himself against Him. Therefore woe to any victor who uses its power arbitrarily as a means of human pride, godless revenge, inhuman cruelty, because by such actions its own doom is sealed. Is this not what our creeds say? (Cf. II. Helv. Confession, XXX) Is this not what encouraged the best of our ancestors when they were subjected to the despotism of great powers? Yes: God is the Lord of history, but not in the sense that unreservedly we can identify all kinds of historical powers, movements and decisions with His will; rather God is the Lord of history in the sense that every power, be it small or great, which pretends to be God is already condemned (Isa. 10:15-16, Mt. 28:18, Ef. 1:21-22). Of course, God’s people under judgment cannot use this insight for a political power game, but neither can they be silent in declaring that God is not mocked by man: whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Gal. 6:7). If a church does not dare to proclaim this fact in these days, it does not do a good service either to the believers or to the unbelievers. Do we dare to believe this when we recall the political events of the past fifty years? Do we trust the reliability of this law? Do we serve with this conviction? This is the second question.

3. But to all this a third question must be added: DO WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE WHOLE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IS SPENT IN CONSTANT REPENTANCE? This does not mean that, in a masochistic fashion, we attribuate to ourselves the mistakes of others, but it does mean that the true source of our self-knowledge is not our

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