Magyar Egyház, 1965 (44. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1965-02-01 / 2. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 and the altar speak to us continually of His great love for us. II. The people fighting in the wilderness is a picture of God’s people. It is also a picture of our Church. When God compels us to fight with Amalek. it is but a sign of His endless mercy. (I am not referring to our conformist brethren because they too are God’s people and must fight their own battles). While we journey through the wilderness, we are in a continual battle with the hosts of Satan and sin. God wants to save his people by constant warfare between His people and the armies of Satan. On this earth, God protects His chosen people, His Church. This battle here on earth is continuous, but ultimately the Church will be triumphant. In this warfare everyone participates, each in his own ability. This battle can only be won as we stand together. If someone wishes to gain glory for himself, the people together must pay the awful price for it. Not only has one period of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America come to a close today, but this forty-year old journey has reached a very important milestone. Today, Dr. Zoltán Beky is leaving us — he is the last one to have had a big part in the great battles of the heroic past. A new generation is today taking over the leadership to whom the books of history and the flames on the altar of gratitude speak epics of the journeyings, of the battles and of the mercies of God which were repeated many times over. We feel today that the era of great men is passing — we are just small, inadequate, average people. When I try to visualize a picture of the Bishop of our Church. I feel that by taking some trait from each one and combining them, we would come up with the one who would fit the needs of today. We need the uncomprising, fighting spirit of Endre Sebestyen who stands out in the storm as a lighthouse built on indestructible rock against the raging sea. We need the bravery of Borshy who was always ready to champion a cause. We need the noble and pure orthodory of the young Sándor Daroczy whose faith was never swayed by modern trends. We need the wide theological horizon of Dr. Nanassy. Oh. how much we need the granite Calvinism of Dr. Vincze. Oh, how much we need the diplomacy of Dr. Beky whose great patience calmed our rebellious youth. — we need his untiring strength and his heart burning with inspiration and enthusiasm. We need the pastoral love of Sándor Marton and József Urbans golden pen. We need the prophet’s vision, Peter’s enthusiasm and Paul’s missionary zeal. . . The journey has been hard, the battle, so far, has been very difficult and we have often walked beside the bitter waters of Marah and often we have had to battle with those we love most. However it was easier, because our people stood together, recognizing danger, knowing the enemy and knowing their friends. The Hungarian spirit has helped in guarding our sacred memories and traditions and this has helped to keep us united. Now comes the time of temptation. This modern world with its treasures, positions, amusements, promises and wreckless compromising — which shames our background and makes us underestimate ourselves. These do us more harm than the back-stabbing attack of Amalek. Our tragedy is that our journey is in the desert full of mirages, false roses and enticing oases. Who can go to battle when the music of life is so alluring and sin is painted as a beautiful, charming maiden? This modern way of life kidnaps our children and lures away our young warriors from battle and from sacrifice, and the battles remain unfought and unwon. It makes our middle-aged indifferent and our aged people feed their souls on cheap stories instead of the Word of God. Today, I take hold of the banner of God. God has entrusted a people to me that I might continue to lead them toward the Promised Land in this little span of time allotted to me. I cannot hold up this banner alone. This flag can only fly over the mountains if you provide me the help I need and if we all lift our hands and hearts toward heaven and pray. It is a very great and hard task to preach the gospel with a faithful Hungarian heart in the way I was taught by my spiritual mother, our Church in Hungary, but I must tell the gospel that God loves us with a never-ending love and that His Son has mercy upon us. We should be His people and we should maintain and keep up the Hungarian Reformed Church of the Lord Jesus Christ both here and in Canada. What a strange and difficult and yet lovely task lies ahead for me. I have to be the Kelemen Mtkes of the Hungarian soul. I have to keep a vigil over the Prince of our Hungarian souls far away in exile, and when a shooting star is fading away into infinity, I have to sob and write “to my dear aunt” relating to her that we are growing smaller. What a woe to cry ceaselessly and to watch the diminishing flames of our bonfire of our journeyings. At the same time, it is my duty to begin new conquests. I have to transmit to the third generation the sacred faith of our ancestors. Midday is past, we are approaching sunset. In so little time I must pour out of the chalice wrought in Hungarian sorrow the precious sweet wine of the Hungarian Reformed faith. What an enormous, life-consuming and still uplifting task! I have to save our greatest treasure, the precious Hungarian Reformed faith through the English language, the faith that we all cherish. We need time, much time to carry out this great undertaking. Sun, stand above Gibeon. moon abide above the valley of Askalon that the Benjamins of the Hungarian Reformed people, the pastors of this small group might complete this wonderful yet almost impossible task! This group has to save its life in changing its language into English. The old phoenix has to be rejuvenated in the fire of struggle and service. Lord, with Thy fire, make the falling black feathers into sparkling diamond feathers! Our dear Church, in its trend to a future full of promises, must fight many battles with herself and Satan. Our only consolation is Christ, the Redeemer, our most powerful Intercessor. As long as we lift up our hands to Him and battle with wisdom and courage — as the coat of arms of our Church says, — victory is certain. For this battle, I am calling my people to stand with me in prayer and I myself to the call of God sweetly obey. My God, what a treasure Thou hast given the Hungarian Reformed Church in this blessed country, when Hungary, the place of my most precious recollections of youth, the graves of my ancestors, the wonderland with its plains, rivers, mountains covered with murmuring forests became lost to me. Here, in this Church, I am at home. I do not feel myself an orphan any longer. Here, I can offer my prayers freely, here, I can dream my most beautiful dreams unrestricted. I love Thee Lord for Thy great goodness to me. J thank Thee for having called me and offer in exchange my heart and my life. All Christians, but especially the Bishop of the Hungarian Reformed Church have the sacred duty to participate in the prophetic, kingly and high-priestly work of Christ.
