A letter from Burkhard Paetzold in Germany
Christmas 2010
Dear all:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
When I hear this verse it immediately brings to mind the tune from Georg Friedrich Handel’s “Messiah.” Surprisingly, in addition to that tune, another phrase comes to mind, one that had been sprayed on the Berlin wall: “Be realistic — request the impossible!”
As we pray, we are asking for the unfeasible to make it workable. God has no other hands than ours, and when we pray, we become part of “God’s team”; our hands become useful to our neighbors near and far.
Looking back on a busy 2010, the first thing that comes to my mind is to thank you for all your prayers and faithful support for our ministry in Central and Eastern Europe.
The financial crisis hit many transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe particularly hard. The crisis affected the poor most of all and helped populist and right wing political groups gain more acceptance. Even traditional parties felt pushed to use populist rhetoric and actions. In this situation, the weakest members of society — refugees, migrants, minorities, the Roma — have again become targets or are used as scapegoats.
Many of you responded to the forced evictions of Roma from France by President Sarkozy. Several U.S. Presbyterians remembered their own history and were sensitive to what they perceived as being racism at work. Quite a few asked me what was happening in Germany when Chancellor Merkel made the disturbing comment that “multiculturalism has ended.” U.S. Presbyterians asked me how we can clearly witness in a globalizing world and at the same time witness the end of communication between cultures?
Where is hope in such circumstances? Where is hope in a world where greed seems to become more important than peace between social classes, justice among the nations and the integrity of God’s creation? Does it really look as if we should minimize our efforts or give in? Jesus’ birth in a manger speaks to us and says: “O ye of little faith! Be realistic — request the impossible!”
After World War II German Christians of the Confessing Church stated in the Stuttgart Confession: “Infinite grief about many people and lands has been brought by us ... We accuse ourselves that we have not confessed more courageously, not prayed more faithfully, not believed more joyfully, and not loved more passionately.”
Today we must ask ourselves: Do we confess courageously enough? Do we pray faithfully enough? Do we believe joyfully enough? Do we love our neighbors near and far with sufficient passion?
As we pray faithfully, we realize that “many little people in many places can change the face of the earth”! This reminds us that ecumenical cooperation is important. Many of our old and new mission workers in Eastern Europe, together with mission workers of other churches, have become more and more involved in ecumenical Roma partnership programs.
Speaking of new mission workers, I’m happy to report that Karen Moritz arrived in September to start her work in Prague in the Czech Republic with the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB).
Roma women in Beregszasz, Carpath Ukraine (photo: Bob Ellis).
And in November Nadia Ayoub came to Hungary to prepare for her work with the Transkarpathian Reformed Church in Ukraine as a consultant for early childhood education for Roma children. Soon after her arrival she participated in an exciting orientation trip to Hungary, Slovakia and Carpath Ukraine that included representatives of the PC(USA) and the Reformed Church in America (RCA).
Two of our long-term PC(USA) mission workers in Berlin are working among refugees and migrants in the ecumenical initiative “Together for Berlin.”
One urgent need is to create the initiative “Roma and Non-Roma Together for Europe” that would provide accompaniment where there is so much hostility. In the past few months I have also talked with Liz and Doug Searles, PC(USA) and United Church of Christ/Disciples of Christ (UCC/DOC) workers in Poland, Mary Ferris, working in Romania, and Ellen and Al Smith, who are active in a network with Russian Roma. Dick and Carolyn Otterness, with the RCA, are encouraging the Reformed church in Hungary to broaden their outreach to the Roma.
We all feel the need for ecumenical networking. We also believe that, in societies where less than a generation ago voluntary work was misused and discredited, voluntarism must be strengthened as an important part of civil society. As far as the relationship between Roma and non-Roma, the work of concerned volunteers is invaluable and many of us who have worked with Roma-Gadje-Dialogue through Service (RGDTS) in the past are encouraged by their work.
In this process, we believe that prayer is very important. We are encouraged by an initiative of the Presbyterian Women for “10 days of prayer and thanksgiving for Roma” in the days leading up to April 8, 2011, International Roma Day.
From left to right: Joe Angi, Burkhard Paetzold, Vince Pocsai, Doug Welch in Beregszasz, Carpath Ukraine (photo: Bob Ellis).
Presbyterian Women over the course of the year have supported the Roma basket weaving project, an employment-generating startup. (Do you have Roma baskets to sell in your church?) And a Living Waters for the World project in Carpath Ukraine has been implemented by our mission workers in Hungary Kathy and Joe Angi. This goes with awareness-raising about the environment in courses for Reformed Ukrainian women taught by Kathy and Carolyn Otterness (RCA). Education is an important part of capacity-building among Roma.
But not only Roma need education. Non-Roma need to be educated and receive cross-cultural training as well. When looking at educational needs in transformation countries in Central and Eastern Europe, I believe that LCC Christian University in Klaipeda is making a significant contribution; Eric and Becky Hinderliter and Jane Holslag as teachers are key members of LCC’s ecumenical team.
I’m very glad for the many, many dedicated and ecumenically minded mission workers in Central and Eastern Europe. I want to take the opportunity to thank all of them for their vision and service.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and please be realistic — pray for the impossible.
Burkhard
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 197
