por admin » Mar Dic 24, 2013 8:39 am
In Hoc Anno Domini
En el Anio de Nuestro Senior
Cuando Saul de Tarsus empezo su viaje a Damascus, el mundo entero estaba en la esclavitud. Habia un estado, y ese era Roma. Habia un amo y senior y ese era Tiberio Cesar.
En todas partes habia orden civil, por que el brazo de los romanos era largo. Habia estabilidad, en el gobierno y la sociedad, por que los centuriones velaban por que asi fuera.
Pero tambien en todas partes habia algo mas. Habia opresion, para todos aquellos que no eran amigos de Tiberio Cesar. Estaba el cobrador de los impuestos y los que recolectaban para mantener a los soldados romanos , estaba el impresor y el que contrataba a los gladiadores que pelearian en el circo Romano. Y estaban los que ejecutaban a los proscritos por el emperador. Por que que mas habia que hacer si no servir al Cesar?
Y habia la ejecucion de los que se atrevian a pensar diferente, los que escuchaban extranias voces o leian manuscritos extranios. Habia esclavitud de los que venian de ciudades lejanas, habia desdenio por aquellos de diferentes razas. Y sobre todo no habia respeto por la vida humana. Despues de todo que era para el fuerte, un hombre mas o menos en un mundo con tantos habitantes?
Y repentinamente, se hizo la luz en le mundo, y un homrbe de Galilea decia: Dale al Cesar lo que es del Cesar y a Dios lo que es de Dios.
Y la voz de Galilia, la cual desafiaba al Cesar ofrecio un nuevo reino en el que todos los hombres eran iguales y levantaban la cabeza y no tenian que bajarla sino ante su Dios. Y decia lo que le hagas a tus hermanos me lo estas haciendo a mi. Y mando este evangelio del reino del hombre a todos los extremos de la tierra.
Y la luz vino al mundo y los hombres que vivian en la oscuridad sentian miedo, y ellos trataban de bajar sus cortinas para que el hombre aun creyera que la salvacion estaba en sus lideres.
Pero la verdad llego a diferentes lugares y le dio la libertad a los hombres, aunque los hombres de la oscuridad estaban ofendido y ellos trataban de apagar esa luz. La voz decia, mientras tengas la luz contigo, la oscuridad no te alcanzara, los que caminan en la oscuridad no veran la luz.
Por todo el camino a Damascus la luz brillo muy brillante. Pero despues Paul de Tarsus tambien tenia miedo. El temia que otros Cesares, otros profetas, un dia vinieran y persuadirian a los hombres de servirlos y no tendrian mas libertad.
Y llegaria la oscuridad nuevamente sobre el mundo y los hombres quemarian los libros y solo pensarian en comer y vestirse y rendirian homenaje al nuevo Cesar y a los falso profetas. Y otra vez la humanidad no veria ni la estrella de invierno en el este y una vez mas no habria luz. solo oscuridad.
Y entonces Paul, el apostolo del hijo de Dios, hablo a los hombres de Belen, Galatians, las palabras que nos hace recordar en todos los anios del senior:
And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord: Camina libre con la libertad que Cristo te ha dado y no caigas nunca mas en la oscuridad de la esclavitud.
In Hoc Anno Domini
This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually since
Dec. 23, 2013 5:40 p.m. ET
When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.
Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so.
But everywhere there was something else, too. There was oppression—for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave largess to the people. There was the impressor to find recruits for the circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed. What was a man for but to serve Caesar?
There was the persecution of men who dared think differently, who heard strange voices or read strange manuscripts. There was enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did not have the familiar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a contempt for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded world?
Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.
And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered a new Kingdom in which each man could walk upright and bow to none but his God. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the uttermost ends of the earth.
So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still believe salvation lay with the leaders.
But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars, other prophets, might one day persuade men that man was nothing save a servant unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and walk no more in freedom.
Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed only to new Caesars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men would not look upward to see even a winter's star in the East, and once more, there would be no light at all in the darkness.
And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.