Fraternity-Testvériség, 2010 (88. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2010-10-01 / 4. szám
Winter 2010 Story of My Faith Kathy A. Megyeri n the last issue of the Fraternity, the Hungarian Reformed Church Youth Camp was featured along with personal reflections by campers, counselors, and CIT’s. All too often, we adults forget the impact of early religious education on our young and the important role that youth play in spreading God’s word. My own faith in today’s youth was restored and my own faith in Christianity was strengthened when some of the high school students I taught spoke of their beliefs in class or wrote of them in compositions. Periodically, a small group of pupils gathered around the school’s flagpole at 7:10 a.m. to join hands and pray together. And as much as I, as a teacher, try to live a Christian life by recognizing the courageous acts of teens or continue promoting their accomplishments, I was humbled by their testimony when they verbally or in writing bore witness to the Lord in front of their classmates. For example, some of my students included these comments in their compositions and even read them aloud to the rest of the class; to me, a true act of courage. My advice to incoming ninth graders next year is to always do your homework, stay on your walk with Christianity, and read your Bible as often as you can. My most prized possession is probably my hymnal. 1 take it to choir rehearsal every Thursday night and to church every Sunday morning. 1 can’t tell you how much I love my church. Singing is my greatest joy, and the best place to do it is at my church. I’m a Christian, I believe in God, and the church is really important to me. My beliefs make me strong. All the things He made happen in my life and all the miracles he has done for me make my beliefs grow stronger and stronger. The irony is that I taught in a public school, not a church school where one would expect to find such testimony. A couple of years ago, I taught in Ukraine, and I’ll always remember the Russian production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” that was performed in Kiev. Teens were packed in the opera house, many of them sitting two on a single chair, crouching in aisles, and hanging off balcony ledges, but they left humming their favorite tunes from the musical. St. Sophia’s Cathedral and St. Matthew’s Church, also in Kiev, were filled with teens worshiping, lighting candles, and praying silently while sitting in ornately, carved wooded pews. Even the city’s jewelry stores featured not only gold icons, but crucifixes that teens wore to the school where I taught. I saw firsthand that the young in both Ukraine and the U.S. are not afraid to bear witness to the Lord, something that I’ve personally found so difficult to do, not only because I taught in a public school, but because I was raised in a family that held its beliefs privately and considered them personal. Thus, I stood in awe of my students’ outspoken commitment to Christianity and their ability to distinguish celebrity worship from the true heroism of Jesus Christ. So, as we celebrate this upcoming holiday season, let us not forget to financially support and pay homage to the leaders of the Hungarian Reformed Church Camp in Ligonier, PA, to pray for the young who are actively involved in mission work as is the daughter of Rev. Imre and Mrs. Bertalan who is currently serving in Hungary, and to praise our youth who bravely attest publicly to their faith and commitment to Christ. When most students wrote of sports heroes, movie stars, and rock groups they wished to emulate, I was amazed at how many students consider Jesus Christ their personal “hero” and cite good reasons for their belief: I enjoy going to church. It makes me feel better inside after I have gone. My beliefs made me stronger when my mom died because I know that someday, I will see her again. Lots of things puzzle me. I don’t know why my mom had to die, and now my life, which was perfect, is all messed up. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people, buti worship God and I call upon him when life is very hard to handle, and sometimes, I just sit and admire all the work of God. I look up and see the blue clouds and above is God. Jesus was very courageous because he came to earth to die for a people he knew would not listen. He knew he would endure pain and hardship beyond anything we could endure. He was beaten, flogged, taunted, and crucified, all to save us. Jesus was also very faithful and devoted to his Father, God. He did everything for the glory of his Father, and nothing for himself. He was also authoritative. He motivated a few people from all walks of life to follow and listen to him. He had a great following of disciples and was able to make people do anything he asked at any time. Jesus is still the greatest hero that ever was. Jesus was to be admired for his selflessness. He died without even trying to defend himself. He was silent, like a lamb being led to slaughter. He diedfor our sins, and He’d never even met any of us. He was a man of exceptional wisdom and extraordinary ability. He had power because he rose from the dead. I also believe that Jesus diedfor me, which shows inexplicable love, another quality which I admire and consider heroic. As one of my students wrote and read aloud in class, “Jesus Christ made sacrifices for a higher purpose: he saved people, benefitted society, improved the lives of children, molded others into greatness, played a positive role, and still possesses the greatest love of all, for people everywhere.” Thanks to my students, I am inspired to “bear witness to my beliefs,“ and I’ve personally become a stronger Christian because I listened to them, read their testimonies, and truly believe that they will “inherit the kingdom of heaven.” 8
