By rev. Noemi M. Szeredai

October, 2002 at the Hopedale Unitarian Parish

JUDGES 9,8-15.

"One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves.

They said to the olive tree, " Be our king." But the olive tree answered, "Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?" Next, the trees said to the fig tree. " Come and be our king." But the fig tree replied, " Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?" Then the trees said to the vine, " Come and be our king." But the vine answered. " Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?" Finally all the trees said to the thorn bush, " Come and be our king. The thorn bush said to the trees," If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thorn bush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!"

1 Corinthians 13,13

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Dear Unitarian Brothers and Sisters,

We - my husband Gergely and myself - are bringing the greetings and best wishes from Unitarians of Csekefalva, Transylvania, a warm greeting to the Unitarian Brothers and Sisters in this wonderful town of Hopedale.

For me to stand here in this beautiful old church, on this pulpit, like a Unitarian minister from Transylvania, like your partner church minister is an honor and a wonderful opportunity to greet you with Jesus' words: PEACE BE WITH YOU! And thank you from all my heart!

What do I have to tell you?

"For what reason am I speaking to you this morning?"

"What is common between us?"

"We are so different from the people who live far away in Eastern Europe, In Romania in the mysterious Transylvania?" - Some of you may think.

I have a lot to share with you and I hope my words will come close to your heart and spirit.

For the beginning I am proposing you a short game. I will say a few things about myself and I hope you find a couple of similarities between yourself and me. These are the facts:

I am woman with a wonderful husband and daughter.

I am an only child.

I was 17 years old, when my father died, when I needed him most.

I was working hard before I got into the University.

The most important things in my life are: Family and God.

I am passionate about human rights!

I am a convinced Unitarian.

I like to walk in the woods, on the fields.

I like Dire Straits and Leonard Cohen.

I like to read and to see movies, although I have no time to do it.

I like impressionist paintings especially by Van Gosh.

I am concerned about peace, and I hope with all my heart, that it is possible to achieve peace in people's hearts and in the world.

Religious freedom and the freedom of spirit - like a great- granddaughter of Francis David, the father of Unitarianism and the most important Hungarian militant for religious freedom -are very important for me.

I hope you found something in common with me. Am I right? Thank you.

This story that we have read from the Bible made a strong impression on me when I read it the first time, and still does every time I read it again. I think this is a true story for today's world, too. Each time this story amazes me. I believe it is extremely important for each person in the family, in the community, in the parish or at work to take responsibility and to act in concordance with his or her abilities and knowledge. It is also important to choose the right person for leadership. This story shows the sad consequences of the wrong decisions and what power can do in wrong hands. This is true in a lot of the situations in our every day life. Although in life this is not the worst situation. It is worse when you have no possibility to take responsibility or to have the right of election, when an outside force is taking over the leadership in your life.

In the last century, this was the case of Hungarians living in Transylvania and other parts of Hungary. After the First, then after the Second World War- In the Dictate of Trianon- Hungary was dismembered and the Hungarians in Transylvania had no choice too say or do anything. The communist dictatorship started in Romania, which was a harsh one - worse than in other countries except the Soviet Union. My grandfather was telling me that for a long time after the war people were hoping, " The Americans will came and rescue us from communism. In the last regime, the Ceusescu dictatorship, the lack of freedom and the fear was part of our every day life.

I will give one personal example about the people's feelings and life in the last years of the regime. I was 18 in 1989 when the Revolution started and the Ceusescu dictatorship collapsed in Romania. I was part of the Youth group in my parish since I was 15, in a big city called: Marosvasarhely. It was forbidden to go to church, I was afraid, but I was going. We were meeting talking about lots of thinks, but freedom and God were the most important topics in our discussions. We also had religious program whit songs and poems and we went for different churches to perform and to keep the faith and hope in people. It happened on the first weekend of December 1989. We were invited to the Reformed church in our town. We already found out from the radio, that a Hungarian reformed minister Laszlo Tokes and his family was persecuted about the Church and Secret Service in Timisoara, from were the revolution started one week later. When I put on my Hungarian folk costume, preparing to go to church I said to my mother" Mom, I am not sure I will came home after church, perhaps I will got into prison, but I must to go!" Thank God, I went home safe that day and after a few days the Ceusescu dictatorship collapsed because the Revolution had started in Timisoara, in other Transylvanian cities and in Bucharest.

Everyone was happy!

What was kept my mother and me going in those moments of crucial fear? It was the faith in the only one God and belief that I had a mission to serve people to give them hope and strength. Back then my role model was Jesus- the man who managed to give example of love, peacefulness, and tolerance to others. This summer at the lARF Conference (International Association for Religious Freedom) I met with the question, "Who is your role model?" My answer was the same: Jesus. For us, Transylvanian Unitarians, our role model is Jesus.

We had escaped from a bad dream - what our life was back than [under communism]. But the new reality after 1989 is complex, hard and sometimes humiliating and full of different kinds of everyday fears.

What can I, as a Unitarian minister in Transylvania, do to help ensure a better future for my congregation, and for my people? Can I offer any relief to the younger generation, when most of my own colleagues from high school have left Transylvania for other countries? Can I offer them hope for their futures, and for the future of our Church?

In spite of all the challenges that face us, my answer is yes! Certainly, yes, I can. Transylvanian Unitarianism has a long history of preaching the gospel of love and of tolerance, and will continue to spread that gospel. Ours is a progressive faith, the mission of Unitarianism has always been one of struggle.

The root of our problems can be found in our history. Through 400 years we have learned to safeguard that which our parents and grandparents have made and preserved for us, and to build upon their accomplishments, if only by the smallest of degrees.

Since Trianon, many have fled our Hungarian communities, some from their country, some from their native villages for Romanian cities, in the hope of a better life. Too often, The Unitarian Church was not prepared for this new challenge. Generations have grown up without Sunday schools or without religious education other than their confirmation classes. The majority of our current adult members, especially in the cities, have grown up under such circumstances. They, and their children, are our future. My task, as minister is to keep them in the Church, to give them something more than flowery sermons and consoling words. I must to help them to find their roots in the soil of our common heritage. For many villages the tavern has become the center of community life. Alcoholism is one of the greatest problems.

We need to rethink the old strategies, the Church structure and its governance. We must to commit ourselves to working in many different areas: the economic infrastructure of our village must be rebuilt, Sunday School system must be revised, our laity must be encouraged to take greater responsibilities, and new ways of communication must be introduced, which has been done with your help. We bought a Performa computer and have access to the Internet.

What can help the Partner Church program in our life? What can people from Hopedale Unitarian Parish do to help the people from Csekefalva Unitarian Parish?

This partnership can offer moral support. In the every day life we Struggle with financial problems, with discrimination as Hungarians in Romania, as Unitarians in the big Orthodox community, with the questions like: "What I will cook for tomorrow’s dinner?

How can I get fruit for my child? How I can get a reasonable salary after my hard work? In the midst of these every day problems we know that there are Unitarians at the other part of the world who are thinking of us, praying for us and it means a lot! Thank you!

This partnership has offered material support:

• To buy a car for the minister's use.( with 3 congregations and no car the ministering was very difficult);

• To give a Christmas present to the each member of the congregation and a sweet package for children and young people;

• A scholarship for the high school and college students;

• The ability to buy a Performa computer with printer and other accessories and the Internet connection.

• And, at present In Csekefalva we are considering a big project to enhance the living community: the reconstruction of the parish house into a religious-education/cultural center and building an addition for the ministers private living quarters. [This idea was presented to the Standing Committee during the visit, and will be presented to the entire church congregation in the near future.]

I remind you of my second quotation, from the words of Paul: "These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest is love."

I believe in the Hopedale Csekefalva partnership: we have all these three elements -faith, hope and love. So, if God is with us, there is no one against us.

In the end I would like to tell you a short story: Once upon a time there was a very good and honest man, a count, who got permission from St. Peter to visit Heaven and Hell. (Don't worry, your Transylvanian partners don't believe in Heaven or Hell) First they went to Hell and the man saw, very thin, hungry, unhappy people standing near long tables overflowing with delicious foods. They were holding very long, 40-inch forks. After that they went to l Heaven, and they saw happy, well-fed people standing near long tables overflowing with delicious food. They had the same very long forks. "I don't understand," said the count. "Why are the people in Hell hungry with all that food?"

"They are hungry, because they cannot eat with those long forks," said St. Peter.

"O.K. But the people in Heaven have the same forks. How can they eat with them?"

" Because," answered St. Peter, "They realized they cannot feed themselves but they can feed the people in front of them. So they feed each other. The people in Hell wanted everything for themselves."

I liked very much this story. Everything is in the heart, in people's heart, in our heart. May God be with us, to have peace, hope, faith and love in our hearts and in our communities.

" The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:16

" Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

2 Corinthians 9,7

" It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Acts 20, 35