The Eighth Tribe, 1978 (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-12-01 / 12. szám
December, 1978 THE EIGHTH TRIBE Page 3 REV. LOUIS ILLÉS: Pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church, Duquesne, Pa. A Message for the Christmas Season in 1978 “Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” Isaiah 6:8b Dear Friends! The Christmas Season includes the Season of Advent and the Christmas Holidays. The first is the season of fulfillment, or we can call them the time of pilgrimage and arrival. During the Christmas Season we are concerned primarily with the attitude of God and man, what they have to say and do. Naturally, the main reason for this concern is our own interest in the Christmas Season of the present, we would like to find out what God’s message is to us, and His relationship with us, what His actions are concerning U8. First of all, what does God have to say to mankind? He issues a proclamation, a call. God calls mankind to accept His offer of salvation, being saved from the consequences of Adam’s sin, God calls mankind to serve Him. This is God’s call. This call was issued during Old Testament times through the prophets, and other servants of the Lord, and it was continued through the centuries after the arrival of our Lord through the apostles and other servants of Christ. God’s call is still being proclaimed through His Word, through His church. Science established the fact that no noise ever produced dies completely. Theoretically, the cry of Abel, as he was slain by his brother Cain, is still echoing in the atmosphere. Extremely sensitive testing equipment can still measure the heat of the original act of creation, called the “Big Bang" by science. It is slowly diminishing, and its sound is no longer distinguishable from other sounds in the world, hut the heat waves are still measurable on a separate, special scale. Unfortunately, the noise and temptation of the world confuses the human mind, and soul, these sensitive tools as to hearing God's call distinctly. How fortunate we are that the church re-issues His call in season and out of season, especially now, in the Christmas Season! But a conversation involves at least two parties. Therefore man’s answer is as important, as God's call. We read about man’s answer in the Scriptures, also. The text above this meditation was Isaiah’s reply to God’s call: “Here am I! Send me.” In the New Testament we find countless, humble human beings, who replied to God’s call in like manner. Mary, Jesus’ mother, Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, the apostles, and many others did not question, but obeyed this call. This is part of the positive action of mankind as an answer to God’s action. Because God not only spoke, but he acted in mankind’s behalf as well. He made a promise, as He drove out the first sinners from the Garden of Eden, to send them a Saviour, and He repeated this promise through the prophets, until in Bethlehem, at the time of the first Christmas in history, the promise was fulfilled. Again, He reminds us of this fulfilled promise at Christmas time, every year. The final act, mankind’s reply to God’g fulfilled promise in action is up to us, You and I. We fulfill our promises to the world, we buy gifts for everyone who is important to us, we send Christmas cards, carols are filling the air almost to the level of noisepollution, we even go to church — or plan to, anyway - but the ultimate act is the offering of our lives for His sake, because He offered his for our sake. We are not required to die, as he was, we don’t even have to sacrifice much, we only have to offer our best. Let us remember, though, that by “our best” we also measure our áuality. One of the TV talk shows (Johnny Carson) mentioned that the countless letters to Santa contain many notes from poor children, who curiously do not ask for gifts for themselves, but for someone they very dearly love. Just as in the case of the little babe of Bethlehem, two thousand years ago, poverty goes hand-in-hand with generosity. God’s call is being issued this year again, during the Christmas Season very distinctly, mankind has the chance again to reply in the affirmative — or a chance to ignore it, to turn it down. We are also reminded of God’s promise fulfilled. We are reminded of our second, third, or the countless chances to reply in the affirmative by acting as God’s children should. A warm smile, a kind word, an outstretched arm to embrace a loved one, even an enemy is the affirmative reply! When all is said, and done, one thing remains clear. We may use every complicated theological, scientific words, yet God’s call, and fulfilled promise boils down to one word, a four letter word, The Word: LOVE. This is God’s message to us in the Christmas Season for 1978! Soli Deo Gloria!
