Dear Friends and Family,
A few reflections on Nehemiah by some PhD students
The discussion began with these questions: “Which sentence particularly speaks to you?``
“Nehemiah allows the bad news on the walls of the Jerusalem temple being in ruins to sink in, this leads to prayer”, responded one.
“We tend always to polish up reality, or to flee into the past”, responded another. “We don't dare to face up to reality.”
“Nehemiah confesses his own faults, but also those of his people. This is unheard of with us. How much this is needed, even today.”
The whole day, the conversation kept connecting the ruins in Nehemiah’s time to the ruins that we see around us in the Churches and in Hungarian society. The cracks are visible everywhere: especially in the widespread tendency to blame others. „It's their fault, not ours”.
On gossiping and mud slinging
Recently our pastor, Rev. András Lovas, gave a series of sermons about the Ten Commandments, which prophetically addressed the current problems in Hungarian society, but also what is means in everyday life to follow Christ. The sermon, about the ninth commandment, “you shall not give false testimony about your neighbour” raised issues that deal directly with events happening in Hungarian society over the last year and a half. It is nothing new, but a clear shadow of the past.
In 1984 Vaclav Havel (at that time still a Czech dissident) links this commandment with a striking analysis of the society of his time (in Living in Truth). It is very true in Hungary today: „...this commandment refers to all types of lies. Truthful, honest and trustworthy speech is part of the foundation of the common life of a society. Where words do not mean what they really mean, in today's terms, where communication and manipulation are the order of the day, instead of open and honest speech, there the foundations of the social community shake. The well-being and health of every community depends on honest speech, on fitting words for the reality. In Hungarian society today, we are experiencing the serious reality of this lack of honesty. In this way, we realise that bearing false testimony, that every form of lie, is not only an individual but also a collective sin.”
Gossip completely accepted
God not only warns His people not to bear false testimony because it is bad in itself, but also because it is damaging for others: 'You shall not give false testimony AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOUR.'
Lying destroys, devastates others... self-interest is set above the truth. The good name of another, his possessions, his usefulness, his health are damaged, because we want to maintain our own interests.
... Often we do this subconsciously ... we do not realise what we are doing. Gossiping, backbiting, is completely accepted in everyday life... It has become part of us to join in. In the words of John Calvin, it is a 'sweet poison, in which we take delight'. How is it that we take such delight in this deadly and destructive poison?
'You did not come to know Christ that way' ... Jesus calls us to stop this. This is possible if we turn to Him in confession and consciously turn away from the lies: 'If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.' He is the only One Who can set us free from putting self-interest first. He liberates you from the compulsion to prove yourself by besmirching others. He calls you to Himself, when you have the feeling that society no longer accepts you because you no longer join in with slinging mud and blackening the name of others... He gives us His Spirit, the Spirit of truth, Who again makes us sensitive to the truth... It is to this that God calls us, also as a Church. To be supporters of speaking the truth, of love and of blessing in this world. To begin with sincerely praising others. Instead of cursing, to speak well of others. If we hear something bad, to close our ears, or if the accusation is unfounded, that we defend the other person. Let us in daily life stop putting others down and cursing others, and let us instead send messages into the world that are uplifting, showing respect for others and bringing blessing. Let us do this in very real ways in our circles, at our work, at school, with our families, in our church. Let us encourage and praise one another, build one another up, and in this way go against the stream of gossip and cynical and bitter remarks. Let us in this way be salt and yeast in our world, and so prepare ourselves for the future to which the Lord calls us. It is only a renewed and continually renewing fellowship which will reveal the mighty deeds of God in a barren land. Amen.
Being a peacemaker
At a conference of leaders of theological schools in Prague, we dealt with the topic of how to manage conflict. I was quite disconcerted to learn through their accounts of situations of deep conflicts and accusations leading to fighting, loneliness and struggles. This is all too familiar in contemporary Central and Eastern Europe. In my talk I noted elements from the post-Communist culture that easily lead to these types of conflicts and on ways to avoid conflict. The core element in avoiding conflict is being a messenger of shalom, by proclaiming peace with God in Christ and with one another. But often there is a great gap between life based on reconciliation with God in Christ and everyday life. While Paul calls us to be ambassadors of reconciliation, we either shy away from conflicts („Peacefaking”) or fan the fire of conflicts („Peace breaking”) rather than seeking peace and being peacemakers (cf. Ken Sande, The Peacemaker: A Biblical guide to resolving personal conflict, pub. Baker Books).
(Group photo from Prague)
Twinning links in East and West
Earlier this year a conference was held in Houten on twinning links with church fellowships in Central and Eastern Europe. Over fifty people met to discuss being a missional church in East and West in this Post Christian era and how we as churches can stand along side one another in a position of equality. There are no standard solutions for the tremendous challenges being faced by all churches in Europe; to find forms in which the questions can become common questions, where there is a case of mutuality instead of a kind of paternalism.
(Photo of Conference for Twinning link churches)
'Do the next thing'
In a Church and society with this 'heritage', the Károli University is in a unique situation as one of the few Protestant universities in Central Europe, called to be the salt of the earth. The challenges are many, as are the open doors, but there are also many problems! Please pray for wisdom for the leadership of the university and of the churches. A friend once gave me this advice: “Do the next thing. Every day, do the thing which is clearly the next step.”
In the past months, many miracles have taken place.
* In the first semester, I gave two courses with a total of ten students. This semester, the new Missions Institute is providing six courses, in which ninety students have enrolled.
*Give thanks for all the donations that make it possible to provide these programs. Pray for more stable partners for the Missions Institute and the University.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Anne-Marie Kool
