Kairos is God breaking through Chronos
The Eight O’Clock
News July 2017
What Now ? Asking the question “what now” is very different from “what next’ if you think about it. The first appears reactive and immediate whereas the second might describe a planned approach. I have known people who spend their lives doing nothing because they are waiting for something to happen— and then say, “you’re so lucky” when they wish that they’d done the same as you. Others may be afraid of taking the next steps and proceed cautiously as creatures of habit. In an article that I read in ‘Life of a Steward’ (Christian Time Management), it says that we are often told that being proactive is the best course of action whereas being reactive is despised. The question is asked: which is best for the most effective stewardship of time. Are we like horses with blinders ploughing the ground for hours and hours or are we like hawks scanning the area for possibilities? Chronos and Kairos, are both Greek words meaning time but imply such different things. When I try to manage with a Chronos mindset, I feel bogged down, for Chronos is time measured in minutes, seconds, days—that in this 24/7 fast-paced world is often not enough for all tasks to be completed and all demands to be met. The article mentions that a mind shift is required: ‘instead of looking at our time as grains of sand slipping through an hourglass’, we should realize that not every second has the same worth. This Kairos view of time is more like seizing the day, ‘carpe diem’ or more accurately translated ‘plucking the day’ like a fruit ripe for the picking. Even more exciting is when we perceive these windows of opportunity as significant events or moments that can make a difference in our lives and those of others. Kairos refers to perceiving time in a different way to ordinary time—it relates to opportunities, decisive moments, important and significant events. July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
8 am Service, Christ Church, Kenilworth
If we devote all our time to God, the chronos time too, then we can listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting, creating an awareness in us about the big (or little?) things that God wants to do in our lives—the timing that cannot be measured by clocks or calendars but by God’s calling for us to fulfil our purpose. Kairos: ‘A time of opportunity in which God makes it possible for someone to do or experience something of lasting importance and significance’. (Dictionary of Christianese). We therefore must be attuned at all times to God’s voice. In his book ‘Hearing God’s Voice’, Henry T Blackaby says, ‘Some people are so disoriented to God that when He begins to work around them, they actually become annoyed at the interruption!’ Rather, he says, ‘The willingness to obey every word from God is critical to hearing God speak’. Let’s then steward our chronos well whilst paying heed to every potential kairos moment. So—back to the ‘what now’ and the ‘what next’. All our time belongs to God for the fulfilling of His purposes in us but ‘kairos time’ is when our plans and dreams; our surprises, inspirations and innovations come together in God’s perfect gracefilled time. We know when to make that important call, have that difficult conversation, apply for a new job or devote ourselves to a life-changing project. Paul, in Ephesians 5, instructs us to pay particular attention to opportune times and seasons, to redeem the kairos. ‘So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do’. (Life Application Bible) - Cheryl Anderson If you missed Annie Kirke’s sermon [Kairos & Chronos] on 25/6, access it on the website .
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 English Standard Version
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Annette & Nigel Christie I spent an interesting morning with Annette and Nigel Christie, at Twin Oaks—their lovely home in Newlands where two magnificent, gigantic oak trees stand guard on either side of the entrance to the driveway. I could tell that Annette was from South Africa, but that Nigel was not, and learned that he was from Torquay, a Devon man, who has lived in this country, in Cape Town, for many years. In fact, 46 years ago, after graduating from the University of Bangor in Wales, he sailed from England on the Edinburgh Castle, with a one-way ticket that cost him £10—cheap even for those days, as the South African Government was funding the rest of the fare. He was heading for the University of Cape Town to obtain a PhD in Marine Biology, studying under Professor John Day, who was the world expert in polychaetes, which are marine worms. I didn’t actually ask Nigel why he had chosen to further his studies here, but perhaps there was a higher hand in this, because if just so happened that, at the same time, Annette was a 2nd year BSc student, majoring in microbiology and zoology, with the same professor! About two months after Nigel arrived in CT, Prof Day asked him to drive a large truck (regardless of the fact that he had no heavy duty licence!) carrying all the research equipment, to a student camp at Langebaan. This just happened to be the 2nd year zoology camp which Annette and her class of students were attending. Langebaan, with its lagoon, together with Saldanha, are particularly rich in marine life, and the worms which were the interest of Prof Day’s research. So the camp was not purely for fun, but involved a lot of hard work, both research, gathering information for their Professor and the practical work of running the camp on a roster basis, the students taking turns with tasks such as catering, serving meals and so on. One day, when Annette was on cooking duty, Nigel approached her for a second helping of pudding—and that’s where it all began! On their return to Cape Town, they started going out together while they completed their studies and two years later, were married in St Saviour’s Church, Claremont, with Nigel’s parents and sister (one of Annette’s bridesmaids) coming from Devon for the wedding. Once he had been awarded his PhD, Nigel worked for the CSIR at Langebaan and Saldanha, involved in studying their marine life. Part of this area at Saldanha later became the new harbour which was required for the export of iron ore from Sishen to international markets. Meanwhile, Annette was working for a pharmaceutical company, engaged in the very exacting work of maintaining quality control of the products of the company. However, much as she enjoyed her work, once their family started to arrive, Annette decided to devote herself to their care. First, there is Nicola—now married to Robin, with two children, Ethan (9) and Emily (7), both at July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
Grove School. Then came Dianne and finally David. He is married to Tammy and they have Jamie, a little boy of 2. At a time when many families are scattered around the world, the Christies consider themselves truly blessed to have all their children and grandchildren still living in Cape Town, where they have grown close, and spend a lot of quality time together. When the Saldanha harbour project was complete, Nigel felt the time had come to establish a business of his own. His research and investigations led him to kelp—a giant seaweed which grows along the coast of the Cape Peninsula and which had been identified as containing nutrients good for plant growth. He set about discovering how to extract the nutrients from the seaweed in order to make it into a plant growth stimulant, and he told me about a “cellular burst technology” by which the goodness of the kelp could be extracted without resorting to the addition of harmful chemicals or heat. He also explained how the seaweed is carefully harvested in strips by divers. Once cut, the plants will not re-grow. However, the cleared areas are recolonised very quickly with young plants which can be reharvested about every two years. Nigel established the company Kelpak (familiar to keen gardeners!) which, from these early beginnings, has grown into a company exporting worldwide. Its headquarters are in Simon’s Town. When they married, Nigel was ex Church of England, while Annette belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church. Afterwards, they went to the Claremont Methodist Church, where their children attended the Sunday School, and then, later, to the Rosebank Methodist Church. While Nigel sometimes attended church with Annette, as a nominal Christian with no strong convictions, Annette told me that she and a friend had prayed for years that he would come into a relationship with the Lord. Nigel told me that about twenty years ago, he had had a deep spiritual experience. After a meeting where he had received prayer, specifically that he would be protected on his way home, he had clearly heard the voice of the Lord calling his name. This had a profound effect on him, drawing him closer to God, deepening his faith and changing his outlook on life. Nigel and Annette have been attending Christ Church for the past six years—first, the 10 o’clock service and then, more recently, the 8 o’clock service, where they feel at home. They are part of a caring cell group which meets in each other’s homes once a month, and, as a group, also attends the Torah Studies on a Tuesday evening. We are so pleased to welcome you, Nigel and Annette—we are glad you have joined us! - Elizabeth van Lingen.
Prayer Walk/Sit/Linger The Accountability Group to which I belong arranged to do a prayer walk in Kirstenbosch on a Saturday morning in May. We decided to break the morning up into sections, and to pray about specific matters in each section, meeting at the end of each to share a bit of what God had been saying to us as we prayed. In each session we were at liberty to choose whether to walk, or just sit on a bench, or lie under a tree. For the final session, in which we were to pray for Christ Church, I chose to lie in the shade under a huge, and beautiful old tree (a 100+-year old Podocarpus Falcatus aka Outeniqua Yellowwood). As I was thinking about, and giving thanks for CCK and what it has meant to me over the past forty years, I was looking up at the branches of the tree. I noticed the thick, strong trunk, with its roots buried deeply in the soil, nourished and supported by it—and it reminded me of CCK, with its roots buried deeply into the Word of God, also nourished and supported by it. I followed the rise of the trunk into the branches that spread out so beautifully from it, and I thought of the many ways that CCK reaches out to its members and to the wider community, the many opportunities for growth and learning which it gives through various groups and courses, the ways in which it seeks to serve the community round about. I thought about how the tree had been growing, year after year, its purpose always to reach upwards towards the light and the sun, and I compared that to CCK, always reaching upwards to God, to the light of His presence and the warmth of His love. Lastly I looked at the leaves, realising that each one was there only for a short time—but while they were there, they brought beauty and glory to the tree and to its Creator and shade to those who, like me, sought shelter under it. I compared that to each of us—members of CCK. We are here only for a time, but that’s fine—when we are gone others will take our place, and the beauty, and glory and love will continue. And I gave great thanks to God.
Also at Kirstenbosch...
Some weeks ago at our PDL-group, Daphne (Burger) informed us about “Thy Kingdom Come,” a worldwide movement praying for renewal. This was initiated by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. We planned to meet on 20 May at Kirstenbosch to pray individually and corporately for the five topics suggested by the movement. It was the most glorious day. Kirstenbosch was at its best—fresh, green and immensely beautiful. It was a special time being able to draw apart and pray for 1) members of our family and friends, 2) for rain, 3) our country, 4) church and then finally, 5) for our involvement in our church. I was so aware of God’s goodness to me and felt a strong desire to be more open to God’s leading in my life and more willing to serve Him where needs arose. I felt committed to pray more regularly for the wider church, but also strongly for our country at this time. It is a real privilege belonging to this ‘PDL’ group—I always feel inspired and challenged after our times of sharing together.
- Sally Palmer
- From Roy’s Thoughtful Thursday; sent in by Alison Kempton-Jones July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
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- Sheila Scheppening Sheila & Sue Lambrecht at Kirstenbosch
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11 English Standard Version
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The Call of God I have never been one of those people who is constantly hearing
the voice of God in miraculous ways. That always seems to happen to other people. God’s leading to me seems to come in quiet ways, in ways that I sometimes only see when I look back and the pattern of God-ordained circumstances becomes clear. Yet there have been a few occasions in my life when the leading of God has been so clear that I am absolutely certain of the next step. In these situations I have been clearly shown what the next step is and where I was to serve God. While studying for matric exams in 1965 I developed a severe dermatitis on my hands. I had to wear gloves at night to stop myself from scratching until my hands bled. I became quite desperate because I had all this studying to do and on top of that was registered to start nursing training at Addington Hospital in February. How could I do nursing with hands that were in such a state? Was I meant to be looking at a different career path? At that point I prayed that God would show me very clearly what I was meant to do by healing my hands if I was meant to train as a nurse, or letting the situation linger if I was meant to look at other options. My hands cleared very swiftly and I was left in no doubt about my career path. Three years later I was coming towards the end of my training and was registered to start the midwifery course at Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg shortly after I graduated. I was rather stunned when I got a letter from the hospital stating that the size of the intake groups had been trimmed, and I would have to wait until the following year to start. By this time both my parents had died and I had no home to run to until I started working again. That week-end I went to stay with an older friend, Edna Steel, who had helped to fill the gap left by the loss of my parents. I talked through the whole sad saga with her, expecting sympathy. Instead she said, “Jeanette, I think this is an opportunity for you. You visited Ruth Stevens at Murchison Mission Hospital and were very enthusiastic about it. Why don’t you see if there’s a place there for you for six months? Write to Ruth.” I thought about it for much of that night, and then decided it wasn’t for me and that I wouldn’t write that letter. The next day we went to our church picnic high up in the hills of beautiful Alverstone. When we got there—who should be there but Ruth. I hadn’t expected that. Port Shepstone was quite a long way from Alverstone. “Isn’t this wonderful?” said Edna. “Now you don’t have to write that letter. Go and talk to her”. Ruth was very enthusiastic and said she would chat to the medical superintendent. A few months later I was installed at Murchison which became another huge learning curve and where I met wonderful people who have helped shape my life and remained friends all these years. Again, God had managed circumstances in a way that left no uncertainty for me. Just before I finished midwifery training I received a letter from Murchison Mission asking me to consider returning in a fulltime capacity. My plans were to work in Scotland, meet family there, and to get some nursing experience. I said I would consider it while I was overseas. The months passed and I was very undecided, yet felt a strong pull towards Murchison. One day I received a letter from Adam Ferguson, the senior missionary, asking yet again if I had made up my mind. This time he said, ”The Lord has placed before you an open door. Make sure you don’t close it.” That was a bit scary. Was I in danger of ignoring the leading of God? After some serious prayer I knew it was time to return and start my new role at Murchison. A few years down the line I was married to Jim, who, at that time, was working as an evangelist and travelling all over the country. July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
A recent visit had been to the small Karoo town of Graaff Reinet, where he did a series of talk in the Baptist church. Not long after that he had a letter from the church asking him to consider becoming their pastor. I knew Graaff Reinet was in the Karoo but knew nothing else about the place. Jim worked with a group of evangelists, and one morning the evangelists’ wives led a women’s meeting in a local church. The talk was based on a passage in Isaiah. When we got home Jim asked if I had come to any conclusion about the call. The church was waiting for an answer. Feeling rather unsettled, I decided to check details about the town in a book we had on South Africa. I found where Graaff Reinet was on the map, and noticed there was a place called The Valley of Desolation. There was mention of rocky outcrops, thorn bushes, semi-desert. After that I re-read the passage from Isaiah read at the women’s meeting and kept on reading into the next chapters. I was totally stunned. A verse in chapter 7 stated, ‘and they shall settle in the desolate valleys amidst the rocks and the thorn bushes’. It was as if God stood in the room and pointed the way. Not all Bible versions use the term ‘desolate valleys’, but this one did. Our three years in the Karoo were tough at times but very formative. The fact that God had so clearly called us enabled us to weather the difficult times. Years later, when I was on the editorial board of Parish Profile, Ascencia Tebbutt, who was editor at the time, asked me to visit Cornerstone Christian College, previously Cape Evangelical Bible Institute, which had recently moved from Athlone to a new campus in Plumstead. My task was to interview various staff members to get details of what was on offer that could be of interest to the parish. Jim had lectured at CEBI so we knew a number of the people and I got some good input. As I was leaving, the librarian asked me if I would consider coming to work in the library for a year to relieve her while she went on furlough with her husband who was the academic dean. I said I wasn’t a qualified librarian and she said she wasn’t either. I declined. She contacted me again and so did the principal. I had to take this seriously. A missionary friend was visiting Cape Town. I valued her wisdom and decided I would discuss the issue with her when we met for lunch. When praying about it I told the Lord I would take what Elizabeth Graham said as being a deciding factor. I knew, of course, that she would say it wasn’t for me... “Jeanette’, she said, “I don’t even know why you are hesitating. This is just up your street. You will cope and you will love it”. And here I am, 22 years later, having learned a great deal, having taken over from my predecessor who moved on, and still loving my role as librarian at Cornerstone. Looking back, the ways in which I’ve determined the will of God haven’t always been the wisest, but I have no doubt that God led me into the various situations which have shaped my life and led me to this point. - Jeanette Harris
The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9 English Standard Version
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Tribute to Peter Holgate On occasions such as this, a million memories come flooding
into one's mind, and stories are told again and again. But before I share mine about Peter, the person who was my husband, closest friend, encourager, and trusted soulmate, I want to say a huge "thank you" to every single person who is walking this road with me and my family. I could not do this alone, and knowing that I can call on others is a great help. While the 'alone-ness' is painful, the love of friends and the closeness of my heavenly Father being shown in so many ways, is a wonderful comfort. God was at the centre of Peter's life. I want to share with you some things that perhaps you don't know about Peter—the Husband, Father, Grandpa, Christian Worker and Leader that he was. Three weeks ago, none of us would have dreamt that today we would be attending a Memorial and Thanksgiving Service for Peter's life. To all intents and purposes he was well for his age. After my heart attack eight years ago Peter and I spoke very comfortably about death and our feelings about our certain passing into eternity—whenever that would be. One thing that Peter made very clear was that at his memorial service the emphasis should be on worship and praise to God—focusing on His amazing greatness revealed to Peter especially, through the world He had created for us to enjoy, and His mercy, love and grace. At the age of nine, Peter’s father was stricken with polio, and as a result was paralysed and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. As the eldest son, Peter was deeply affected and took very seriously his role in the family, becoming committed to stepping into his father’s shoes, especially in the area of practical support in the home. This shaped the person he grew up to be. Then, when 12, a totally different event impacted his life. He was caught smoking behind the toilets at school! The dressing-down which he received from the headmaster led to Peter making a vital decision. He realised that he needed to change the direction he was going in, and he looked for a role-model on which to base his life. His choice? To follow Jesus Christ. From then on, after finding the forgiveness found in no other god, he committed himself to a Christian lifestyle. He changed from being "the boy who smoked in the toilets" to being nicknamed Halo Holgate, of which he was not necessarily proud. Peter nurtured his relationship with God by identifying with others of like mind. He attended the CU at RBHS, the SCA at UCT, the Young Peoples' Fellowship at Pinelands Baptist Church and at holiday time went to SU camps. It was in these years that his leadership skills developed and he also became a regular reader of daily SU Bible Reading Notes. On leaving school the career of his choice was Teaching—and the subject was Geography. His reason for deciding to teach was motivated only by a desire ‘to live for God in such a way that young people who were taught by him would not only come to know and love the world but discover the Creator and His love for them behind it all.’ His love for geography plus the passion to see God's kingdom grow were soon to become his life's motivation—Mission. At the age of 15 as an eager teenager, Peter made a committed decision to perhaps become a mission-worker himself should God make it clear that that was His plan. But then he met me! I shared his love for God's world, especially the beautiful people of every culture and group who were all created for God's delight in relationship. It was our united love for this mission in life along with the conviction that we were 'made for each other’, that July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
brought us to the realisation that we could pursue this, not necessarily by going into the far-flung mission field ourselves, but by encouraging others in their calling. And so Peter touched many lives of all cultures and languages—in the classroom, at SU Camps, beach missions, counselling others in mission leadership in the OMF and Cornerstone College: giving them practical experience by going with teams of young people on crosscultural missions—and always encouraging them to appreciate God's World and base their lives on His Word. Three words I didn't really come to appreciate about Peter, the person, until well into our marriage, sum up for me the loving and committed husband that Peter was: 1) RISK. Peter knew no fear. He was secure in the Father's love and secure in the purpose he had been given in life. He feared not what others said or thought about him—he steadfastly walked his Christian life wanting only to see God's kingdom grow, and to see lives changed by a living relationship with Jesus Christ. He was not afraid to think outside the box, creatively. Those of you who have sat on committees with him will know that he loved to 'stir’— to get people to think beyond their parochial interests—never thinking of himself nor looking for popularity or status. 2) CHANGE. His security therefore made it easy for him to accept change and difference. He was able to adapt to being in an African hut in the mountains of Lesotho—where he lay on the floor to sleep next to the carcass of a sheep which was to be served up for lunch the next day—or feel quite at home in a simple home in Thailand where he could not understand the language and had to share his bedroom with mice and scorpions! He taught me that difference or diversity were not to be feared, but rather seen as a springboard to develop creativity. 3) CHALLENGE. Those first two qualities combined to give Peter an eagerness to look for, and often accept any challenge! He loved a challenge. You may be surprised to know that the challenge he found most difficult to accept was ordination and the running of a Church. Yet we saw God at work at St Barnabas, using the gifts He'd given Peter: listening, offering wise counsel, pointing others to Jesus and always encouraging. Peter never felt he'd arrived—he was always open to growing. He was human and knew it but was never frustrated by having to adapt to being not the person he’d been years back! In the years of retirement we had many laughs together as we found ourselves doing—or not doing—daft things as we couldn’t keep up with the challenges modern life. I shall remember Peter with affection and tears—ever grateful for his love and encouragement in my own life. I hold to the words of the OMF hymn:
How good is the God we adore Our faithful, unchangeable friend. Whose love is as great as His power, And knows neither measure nor end.
- Mary Holgate
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The Westwood Family Celebrates Hannah Grace Westwood, first grandchild for Tony and Jean, was born to Kate and Andrew in the early hours of Wednesday, 21 June 2017. It was the second celebration of the week. Ursula Westwood was awarded her MA with distinction at Oxford University and will continue at Oxford, pursuing her PhD. Well done, Ursula—we are all immensely proud of you. L) Held in her Daddy’s arms, Hannah appears to be saying: ‘Dad, I’m exhausted. You will not believe the journey I’ve been on!’ R) Four generations of Westwoods: Tony’s Mom, Felicity (Felix), Tony, Andrew and Hannah
Below: Ursula’s Graduation at UCT a few years ago with proud parents, Tony and Jean.
8 Truths That Hannah Will Learn 1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats. 2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair. 3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person. 4) You can’t trust dogs to watch your food. 5) Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair. 6) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time. 7) You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. 8) The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap. -Source unknown. Sent in by Jan & John D’Arcy Evans
Interesting Quotes by Margaret Drabble * “Perhaps the rare and simple pleasure of being seen
HAPPY SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS To
John vd Linde (2/7) Angelika Flegg (13/7) Desiree Payne (14/7) The LORD will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life.
for what one is compensates for the misery of being it.” * “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” Psalm 42:1-2, 7-8 * “What really annoys me are the ones who write to say, I am doing your book for my final examinations and could you please tell me what the meaning of it is.” I find it just so staggering - that you're supposed to explain the meaning of your book to some total stranger! If I knew what the meanings of my books were, I wouldn't have bothered to write them.” [The British novelist is involved in a well-known literary feud with her sister, the writer A.S. Byatt. It seems that Byatt took offense when Drabble wrote about a family tea set—as a result, the two do not read each other's books.] - Source: Margaret Drabble’s website July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
From Matron to Martyr A brave Scot who sowed in tears The discovery of a handwritten will and more than 70 photographs
has provided fresh insight into the life of a Christian martyr who perished at Auschwitz. Just six months before the camp was liberated by the Red Army on 27 January 1945, the life of courageous Scot, Jane Haining was snuffed out, aged 47, by Nazi butchers for the ‘crime’ of loving the Jewish girls under her care. The “priceless” finding in the attic of the Church of Scotland World Mission Council’s archive in Edinburgh has once again brought Jane’s story into sharp focus, not long after the publication of a new book on the subject. From Matron to Martyr—one woman’s ultimate sacrifice for the Jews (Tate Publishing) is authored by New Zealander Lynley Smith, a distant relative who travelled the world to research details for her magnificent portrayal of this brave woman from Dunscore, near Dumfries—the only Scot to be honoured with a ‘Righteous among the Nations’ award by the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. Fully aware of risks: Commenting on the poignant discovery of her last will and testament, dated July 2, 1942 and bequeathing her typewriter, coat and other items to various people, council secretary, Rev Ian Alexander said: “It is a wonderful document and tremendously exciting to have something that Jane Haining herself has written. It gives a sense she was fully aware of the risks she was taking. “Scottish missionaries were advised to return home from Europe during the dark days of the Second World War, but Jane declined and wrote: ‘If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness?’ ” Jane had been living and working in the Glasgow area before taking on the role of matron at a girls’ home in Budapest, Hungary—the boarding establishment of a school run by the Scottish Mission to Jews. So dedicated was she to what she believed was her life’s calling that she refused to leave her post when given several opportunities to escape, and even being ordered home by her superiors who feared for her safety. Discrimination and persecution: But more important to her was the safety of the Jewish girls under her care, already suffering under relentless discrimination and persecution even before the Nazis marched into their country. Many of their parents were forcibly split up by the authorities as they sent the breadwinning Jewish men away, ostensibly to work camps, leaving families destitute and distressed. The children often took refuge in the arms of Jane, who loved to comfort them with hugs and prayers of assurance. When she was forced by new laws to sew yellow stars onto the uniforms of her girls, she sobbed uncontrollably. And when some of the poorer pupils had no footwear, she effectively cut off any remaining ties with her homeland by using the soft leather of her suitcase to make soles for the girls’ shoes. She could identify with those who had lost parents as her mother died in childbirth when she was only five, her baby sister Helen lasting just 18 months, and her father died soon after remarrying, leaving his grieving widow pregnant. Showed too much concern: Jane was eventually arrested by the Gestapo on a series of charges which basically amounted to the fact that she showed too much concern for the Jews. Leaving her girls distraught, she was moved around various local prisons before being corralled into a cattle truck, crushed in with some 90 July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
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other women in conditions worse than animals would suffer with access neither to water nor toilets for the long and tortuous journey to Auschwitz in south-west Poland. She died soon afterwards, allegedly of natural causes. But since she had a strong constitution and had held up well even when sharing her food with her fellow inmates in an earlier prison, she is more likely to have been either shot or gassed, like so many of the million-plus Jews estimated to have perished at this most infamous of all death camps. A postcard written two days before her death indicated no ill-health, but hinted at her impending ‘promotion’ to meet with her Lord in heaven. Intriguingly, in a chapter titled A View from the Summit early on in the book, the author imagines the scene of Jane’s arrival in paradise, which serves the useful purpose of taking the sting out of the horrors that ensue in the narrative. Indeed the Bible speaks of how the promise of resurrection removes the sting of death! God keeping her story alive: Delighted by the new discovery, author Lynley Smith told me: “It shows that Jane was well aware of the danger she was in—something I have always said. Bearing in mind that her Bible was miraculously rediscovered in 2010, I think God is keeping her story alive as its message—her example of loving the Jews enough to die for them—is so urgent for today.” The book has been translated into Hungarian, a key Budapest thoroughfare has been named after her and the government there has also honoured Jane for her sacrifice. But in truth anti-Semitism there is once more on the rise, inflamed by the policies of the right-wing Jobbik Party. In fact little appears to have changed since those dark days in 1944. Lynley said, on a recent visit to Budapest to launch the Hungarian translation of her book, she witnessed a group of skinheads racing through the city, one of them giving a ‘Heil Hitler’ salute as he dashed past a policeman. Hero of the Holocaust: In 2010 Jane was awarded a Hero of the Holocaust medal by the UK Government. She had sought no honour in this world except to do the will of God and love His Chosen People. The Church of Scotland Mission in Budapest, which was home to a sizeable Jewish population in the 1930s, marked its 175th anniversary in 2016. ‘As I (Lynley Smith) was meditating recently on Psalm 126—that those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy—I thought of Jane Haining, who wept uncontrollably as she was forced to sew yellow stars on the uniforms of the Jewish girls in her care.’ The Rabbi who wrote a foreword to Lynley’s book said, “Jews need to know that true followers of Jesus are our friends.” - Sent in by Alison Bourne
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 English Standard Version
Hallowed be Thy Name The three great themes of Jewish prayer, from the
Story of a Useless Cat ? Or Is it ? - Source Unknown; sent in by John & Jan D’Arcy Evans
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July 2017 Eight O’Clock News
time of Jesus and even to this day, are the fatherhood of God, the sanctifying of God’s name, and God’s kingship/kingdom. The second of those themes is to sanctify (or to hallow, to make holy) God’s name. A benediction from the Amidah (the central prayer of all four services in Jewish worship), composed at least four centuries before Jesus, reads as follows: “We will sanctify Thy name in the world even as they sanctify it in the highest heavens. As it is written by the hand of Your prophet, the seraphim called unto one another and they said: kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Adonai tzeva’ot—holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory. And those over against them, they blessed you this way by saying: ‘blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.’ And in Thy holy words it is written, ‘the Lord shall reign forever—thy God, O Zion unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.’ So unto all generations we will declare Thy greatness, and to all eternity we will proclaim Thy holiness, and Thy praise O our God shall not depart from our mouth forever, for Thou art a great and holy God and king. Blessed art Thou O Lord, the holy God. Baruch atah Adonai, ha’el hakadosh. Thou art holy and Thy name is holy, and the holy–the saints –praise Thee daily. Blessed art Thou O Lord, the holy God.” So when we pray ‘our Father’ we are speaking of our identity, and when we pray ‘hallowed be Thy name,’ we are speaking of our responsibility. One of the most beautiful prayers in the Siddur (Jewish Prayer book) begins this way: ‘Great and holy be Your great name in this world O Lord—the world which You had created according to Your will. May You establish Your kingship during our lives and during our days, and during the life of the house of Israel—even speedily and in a near time.’ Then the congregation is supposed to respond to this prayer with one of the most cherished words in all of Jewish liturgy: ‘Let His great name be blessed for ever and ever.’ Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, extolled and honoured, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Though He be high above all blessings and hymns, praises and consolations which is uttered in the world. AMEN That is the essence of Jesus’ prayer, ‘hallowed be Thy name. -Extract from a teaching by Dwight Pryor Editorial Team Tel/e-mail Ev Els
021 696 0336 emichael@iafrica.com
Cheryl Anderson
083 272 1530 canderson@beckman.com
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