People visit the Danubian Church District on Ráday Street for very important matters. On October 24^th, a delegation of young children sweetened the day of all the church leaders and colleagues in the Bishop's office. The large group of Lorántffy Reformed Kindergarten and Nursery children from Csákvár, Transdanubia, travelled to the capital to meet their goal in celebration of the Day of Reformation this year: to give 500 hugs. It was a special Tuesday for those working in the Bishop's office as a reception of charming children interrupted their daily routines. The Csákvár Reformed Kindergarten “Bear” group arrived at lunchtime, singing and shouting in chorus: “on, tion, formation, reformation,” just before storming into the offices of the church leaders.

Last month, the children had visited not only the Reformed institutions in Csákvári, but also those in Székesfehérvár and the capital. In addition to remembering the Reformation, the goal was to create contact, "We thought a lot about how we can bring the jubilee of Reformation close to the children – what they may give and what they may receive,” explained Gábor Gereb, a Reformed pastor, “We came to the conclusion that it would be a nice gesture to hug five hundred people for the 500^th Anniversary of the Reformation. In Csákvár, we visited the Catholic and Evangelical congregations, and organized a special Sunday in our church where we embraced the members of our own Reformed community. And each guest who came to our school also received a special hug.”

“All those who had been hugged by the children were touched by the love of the children,” said the pastor, “Many who seek the essence of the Reformation may well find it in the loving embrace of these little children. Through them, we were able to get a little bit closer to the other person – after all, this is the primary task of the Church.”  Gábor Gereb added, “At first, the children were frustrated, but as time went by, they were able to express their love to each person they hugged. Like this, we can learn from our children to express our love for others.”

All those who had participated in the event received a certificate with a number referring to which hug number they were; István Szabó, the Presiding Bishop of the RCH, as well as the Bishop of the Danubian Church District, received the number 404.

Bishop Szabó says, “A hug from a child opens a special world for the person receiving the hug. This is a world of trust, our childhood. The 500 hugs shared by the children on the 500^th Anniversary of the Reformation show me that the world would have been a better place if such a hug was given every year in the last 500 years.”

Written by Ágnes Jakus

Photos by Tamás Füle

Originally published on the website of the Danubian Reformed Church District (parokia.hu)