The Words of the Jørgensen Family
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The Words of the Jørgensen Family |
The activities of last month were a great deal concentrated on finding a Center. So finally we were successful in getting a 3 room apartment located quite near the University and the Student's hostels, and at the same time not too far from downtown. So we are really thankful to our Heavenly Father for this wonderful opportunity He has given to us, to do better and more effective work for Him.
Two English girls, whom we witnessed in a park, (the town is still full of tourists and foreign students) have been taught through to the conclusion, and they will be leaving for home in about 10 days. We seriously pray that they will contact the London Center and may spend same time there, so that they really become strong and help to restore their own country.
Two more Norwegian girls have been taught the whole of the Divine Principle as well, and we hope that after a short period of more intensive studies they will be victorious in their inner struggles and decide to be active in spreading the Truth.
I came to a deeper realization of my responsibility against the Christian Church, when I noticed that I always seem to run into "personal Christians", while I sort of try to avoid them. So it must be guidance of the spirit world.
The expression "personal Christian" seems to be typical Norwegian, and it has somewhat puzzled me. A distinction is made between "personal Christians" and Christians. A study had been made in 1968/69 and the polls showed that about 28% of the Norwegian population called themselves "personal Christians", whereas about 85% said they believed in God. (71% believed in life after physical death according to that opinion research.) But it seems to be nearly impossible to give a simple and clear definition of a "personal Christian". In one book the expression was explained as "made a decision for Christ", and to my own questions I have often got the somewhat stereotyped answers "I have received Jesus" or I believe that Jesus died for my sins". There seems to be a certain danger that the 'personal Christians" consider themselves so much better than anybody else and develop a more or less hypocritical attitude.
In the same direction point explanations which are given by ministers and different other church people as a reason why the churches are so empty and why so comparatively few are personal Christians. They say that the Bible would always point out that only a few are on the right way, and they quote Matthew 7 verse 13 and 14.
Matthew, chapter 7: 13: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14: For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
More honest and relevant was that minister who compared the Pharisees and many church people of today in his sermon and he came to the conclusion that they obviously had much in common. He went as far as to say that the Pharisees had been wrong in their time, and what had happened once could happen again!
We send our love and warm greetings to our True Parents and to all our brothers and sisters over the world.
In Their Precious Name
Ingrid Schneider