Magyar Egyház, 1973 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1973-08-01 / 8-9. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 superstition, and apathy. These represent the vacuum inside the ancient “church members” and inside us. This vacuum was filled with many things, even in Old Testament times, with many far-out religious experiences. The golden calf in the desert, while the Jews were wandering in the desert, human sacrifices, and even temple prostitution in Canaan are but only a few of these experiences in the ancient Jews' life to fill the vacuum inside, the vacuum that was created by apathy, superstition and habit. These harmful feelings created the vacuum in the hearts of the Christians in the Middle Ages. Fortunately, the vacuum was filled then by reformation by the will of God. For even God intervenes in the church’s life, when He feels it necessary. Yet, the many facets of reformation can label even this movement as a “farout religious experience” even if only in certain cases. Reformation created Protestantism, and this leads us right into our present age, with the same problems under different disguises. Unfortunately the church still has to fight the same enemies, habit, superstition and mostly apathy. In addition to drugs, sex, and the different movements and thrills, the far-out religious experiences took over the task to fill today’s vacuum inside us. Christian Science, Spiritism, Jehova’s Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists are only a few of these experiences, even the church of Satan is gaining membership. But, are they the solution, can today’s church members, and we are vitally concerned about the youth membership, find solution only outside of the church? After all, even within the church there is some divisions by denominations, fundamentalism and liberalism! What about the organized church, the Hungarian Reformed Church in our case? The old answers do not seem to satisfy a young mind’s eager hunger for the truth. We must fight habit- Christianity, superstitionhypocracy and apathy-temptation with them. They must be included in our fight, not pushed aside. Fortunately youth is eager to be included, our young people don’t have to, don’t want to be convinced by human wisdom. They seek eternal truths, divine truths under the petrified crust of outward tradition, they wish to find the essence of Hungarian Reformed tradition, which is none other hut Jesus Christ crucified. We should take note of our Roman Catholic brethren, who have progressed greatly in the last few years. They did not have to change the entire structure, and teachings of their church, only the language and the style changed. Folk masses, English liturgy were only up-to-date interpretations of centuries-old dogmas. Our personal question is: do we need a John XXIII in the Hungarian Reformed Church, too, or will understanding of the crisis and our youth eager to help bring about such a “change”? No matter what, the church will have to learn today’s language to witness for her Saviour. The church will have to learn how to reach out, so that she will not lose her youth, her future. One of the best definitions of the church’s message, even of our Hungarian Reformed tradition is the song both camps, BYF and CS sing: “And thev’ll know we are Christians by our love.. .” Rev. Louis Illés
