por admin » Sab Dic 24, 2011 11:54 am
Editorial escrita en 1949
WSJ
Cuando Saul de Tarsus empezo su viaje a Damascus, el mundo entero estaba bajo un regimen de servidumbre. Habia un solo estado, y era Roma. Habia un master para todo y todos, y era Tiberius Caesar.
Habia orden civil, y por que el brazo de Roma era largo. En todas partes habia estabilidad, en el gobierno y en la sociedad, por que los centuriones se encargaban de que asi fuera.
Pero en todas partes, habia algo mas tambien. Y era opresion - para todos los que no eran amigos del Tiberius Caesar. Estaba el cobrador de impuestos que tomaba los granos de la tierra y el lino del husillo para proveer a las legiones de soldados o para alimentar las hambrientas arcas del divino Caesar. Y estaba el que que buscaba a los que se presentarian en el circo. Habia ejecuciones para callar a los que el Emperador determinaba. Que mas podia hacer un hombre si no servir al Caesar?
Y habia la persecucion contra los hombres que se atrevian a pensar de manera diferente, aquellos cuyas extranias voces se leian en manuscritos. Habia esclavitud de las tribus que venian de otros lugares que no fueran Roma, desdenio por los que no lucian igual. Pero por sobre todo, habia desprecio por la vida humana. Que, para los fuertes, valia la vida de un hombre mas o menos?
Y de pronto, se hizo la luz en el mundo, y un hombre de Galilee aparecio diciendo: Dale al Caesar lo que es del Caesar y a Dios lo que es de Dios.
Y la voz de Galilea, la cual desafiaba la del Caesar, ofrecio un nuevo reino donde cada hombre podia caminar erguido y no arrodillarse ante nadie que no fuera Dios. Lo que hagas a los demas me lo estaras haciendo a mi. Y envio su palabra del Reino de Dios a los mas remotos lugares de la tierra.
Y la luz llego al mundo y el hombre que vivia en la oscuridad tuvo miedo, y trataron de bajar su cortina para poder seguir pensando que la salvacion estaba en sus lideres.
Pero ocurrio que en diversos lugares la verdad hizo libre al hombre, aunque los hombres en la oscuridad se ofendieron y trataron de apagar esa luz. La voz decia: camina mientras tengas la luz, menos oscuridad ante ti, que el camina en la oscuridad no sabe a donde va.
Y en Damascus la luz tambien brillo, Pero Paul of Tarsus tambien tenia mucho miedo. El temia que otros Caesars, otros profetas, un dia vinieran a persuadir al pueblo de que debian servirlos.
Y despues voveria nuevamente la oscuridad sobre la tierra y se quemarian los libros y los hombres solo pensarian en comer y vestirse y prestarian atencion solo al Caesar y a falsos profetas. Y los hombres no mirarian a la estrella del invierno en el este y una vez mas, no habria luz en la oscuridad.
Y entonces, Paul, el apostolo del Hijo del Hombre, hablo a los de brethren, los Galatians, las palabras que cada anio nos recordaria a nuestro Senior:
Mantente firme que Cristo nos ha dado la libertad y no caigas nuevamente en el yugo de la exclavitud.
In Hoc Anno Domini
The late Vermont Royster's classic 1949 Christmas editorial.
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.