The Eighth Tribe, 1977 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-12-01 / 12. szám
Page 2 THE EIGHTH TRIBE December, 1977 DEDICATION This magazine is dedicated to the Eighth Tribe in America which is made up from descendants of the original Seven Magyar Tribes. Whatever their faith, their familiarity with their ancestral language, or their degree of Hungarian ancestry, we address ourselves to each of them. THE EDITOR’S CORNER:— LEST WE FORGET THE HONORED GUEST Through thousands of years the Christmas Story has become the most beloved story in the world. The strange bright star appearing in the East, the three Wise Men following it’s course and bringin their gifts to the new born child, the shepherds watching their flock and the angelic chorus proclaiming to them the birth of Christ still grip our imagination, thrill our hearts and inspire our spirits. Christmas is the holiday of preparedness, expectation, waiting and giving. At the time of Jesus’ birth Israel was waiting, was looking forward with great expectation toward the coming of the Messiah, who will deliver them from the yoke of the Roman rule. Similarly, at the present time our homes are in turmoil. The homes get spruced-up, the women folk for days are preparing, baking special cakes and foods for the holiday. As Mary and Joseph were heading back tothe city of their origin 2,000 years ago, similarly, at the present time many are heading back home, traveling thousand of miles just to be together with their families on Christmas Day. In the long history of mankind there has never been such a birthday party. It is at least a million times greater than any celebration ever held to honor a king or conquerer or anyone else. Taking part in this one are almost a billion persons, all over the world. People save all year to buy THE EIGHTH TRIBE Editor ............................................................ Sándor E. Chomos Contributing Editors: .......... Albert Wass, Joseph Széplaki, István S. Tuba, Elizabeth Tuba, Steven B. Várdy, M. Takács Barboe, Endre Nánay, László Könnyű. Published and printed monthly by the Bethlen Press, Inc. P. O. Box 637, Ligonier, Pa. 15658, UBA. Second Class Postage paid at Ligonier, Pa. 15658, U.SA. Subscription: $8.00 yearly. gifts for each other. In addition to giving each other gifts, people send vast numbers of greeting cards to each other, near by or far away. It is a colorful festival, at a dull time of the year. Tons of tinsel and bushels of bulbs are sold as people decorate and light their homes. As at no other time, people call greetings to each other and lift their voices in song, and the older the song the better. People who haven’t been in church all year will go at this time. All this is, basically, in celebration of the birth of a baby in a Middle East village named Bethlehem nearly 2,000 years ago. Whatever else Christmas may mean for us, with its stirring music, its exchange of gifts and greetings, its family reunions, its soaring worship — whatever else, it means that the Savior promised by God has come to this world. It is unfortunately true that, in all the activities of the season, the Honored Guest is often forgotten. We forget that gifts to each other are supposed to be in His honor and for His sake. His influence is at work, however. People are moved at Christmas time to do for others less fortunate than themselves. And it seems likely that without Him the huge celebration would never have started or grown to its present proportions. There has to be a worthwhile reason behind all the merriment and gift exchangin. The Christians placed the 33 years of Christ on earth as the most decisive thing that has happened on this earth—more important than the cumulative wars and civilizations of all history. The God who created the earth executed this one supreme maneuver to recover to himself the people who live on the earth. It takes a miracle of faith to believe this. How could one brief life in one little corner of the world 2,000 years ago be the watershead for everything else that has happened, or will happen, in the world? Is there any option more attractive than this, to explain the riddle of existence To believ that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son to proclaim His love for mankind. So let us catch the echo of that first Christmas night, when the angelic host serenading the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men.” • * * On behalf of the editorial board of the Eighth Tribe and Bethlen Press we wish all of you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.
