HomeARC ML 0230
"MAKARIOS"--MO May 1973 GP No.230
Copyright © May 1973 by The Children of God
P.O. Box 31, London WC2E 7LX, England or BP 752, 75123 Paris, Cedex 03 France
1. THE MAJESTIC FIFTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS III, hero and first President of today's independent Cyprus, has led its people for thirty years and is the most experienced and democratically elected leader in the world! He has fathered the new tiny island republic, keystone of the Eastern Mediterranean and stepping stone to the Near East, from its conception to its birth in 1960 and has managed to rear his infant nation with the help of UN peacekeeping forces into one of the most peaceful, prosperous and fast-growing governments of the Mid-East!
2. OFTEN ACCUSED OF BEING A MACHIAVELLIAN GUN-TOTING PRIEST MIXING BIBLES WITH BAZOOKAS, he has established a dramatic image of remarkable charisma in his undisputed leadership of the island. With his patriarchal beard, high crown-like hat and prophetic robes, he cuts a mystical and majestic royal figure which makes the ambassadors of some of the world's most important modern nations look like ridiculous little king's fools!
3. BORN THE SON OF A POOR SHEPHERD IN A SMALL HUMBLE VILLAGE near Pathos, August 13, 1913, he served tables to get a hard disciplinary education in an Orthodox monastery. In 1946 he slept on the deck of a ship to go to America on a scholarship, but found it difficult to make the transition from the hunger and starvation of German-occupied Greece to the American materialistic paradise.
4. IN 1950, HE BECAME ARCHBISHOP OF CYPRUS AND ITS ETHNARCH, or both spiritual and temporal leader and enthusiastic advocate of Cypriot freedom from British rule. When the Island erupted into guerrilla warfare between the Eoka Freedom Fighters of Greek General Grivas and the British, Makarios was the only man who was finally able to bring about peace between its three warring factions: the Greeks, Turks and British, and helped form a new constitution granting his government complete independence from the domination of all three. When fighting later broke out between Greek and Turkish Cypriots again, again he was the only man who could bring peace between them, and indeed, helped to prevent open war between Greece and Turkey and even possible armed clashes between the super powers over the Cyprus crisis in which the U.S. was backing Greece and Russia was sympathising with Turkey.
5. HIS FLARE FOR THE DRAMATIC, amazing wisdom, uncompromising negotiations, obsession with details, a man of peace with an aversion for violence, yet a man of power who has led his people to victory, a man of the people and a man of God, he flourishes a paradoxical personality which brings confusion and despair to his enemies to the delight and veneration of his followers! He has been known to argue over trade treaties that did not include ballpoint pens, or the terms of peace treaties splitting hairs between 99 and 100 square miles, and can negotiate for seemingly endless hours without eating, to the near starvation of his opponents! He meets weekly with his Cabinet, personally reviews all prison sentences and is even intimately concerned about such details as the preservation of Cyprus' rare mountain goats!
6. HIS ATTITUDES SOMETIMES SEEM A DEVIOUS ENIGMA TO HIS ENEMIES: At one time he is contending for union with Greece, and at another, he is championing complete independence for Cyprus; leads a revolution for freedom, but establishes almost dictatorial personal control. Formerly a crisis President, he has begun to assume an air of ageless and endless immortality with confident command of the situation. Even the recent rebellion and terrorist activities of the bloodthirsty Grivas against his independent rule have failed to disturb him, and demands by other Bishops for his resignation only dislodged themselves and resulted in a nearly unanimous vote of confidence from his people!
7. HE IS NOW IN HIS THIRD TERM OF OFFICE AND SEEMS SECURE in his position and is so loved by his people that he could probably have as many terms as he likes. But as head of both Church and State, he claims he is only offering his services to the people as President because of the their present need, but would prefer to return to his spiritual duties only. He is a very hard worker spending many long hours at his desk, and jokes that his last vacation was 20 years ago when the British exiled him for a short time to the Seychelles during one of Cyprus' frequent uprisings against them. As Archbishop, he is not supposed to marry, and has no known children but used to meet once a week with his other relatives and their children until his time was so taken up by official duties.
8. THIS MAN OF POWER WHO HAS SHAKEN KINGS AND THEIR KINGDOMS and the presidents of the super powers, gives his salary to charity, still often performs the humble duties of a priest and walks fearlessly among the common people of his flock. When questioned as to whether with such entrusted power he is sure his decisions have always been right, he laughs and says, "No--but I wouldn't want my people to know my mistakes!"--Then he adds, with a smile: "But my motives were pure and they know it, and despite all my mistakes, my people still love me!"
9. WE FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN MAKARIOS through the news of the remarkable work he was doing in uniting his divided people and bringing peace to his troubled isle, and felt inspired to pray for him. Then in 1966 when my daughter Faith was only 15 and working at the Protestant and Orthodox Pavilion at the New York World's Fair, either he or one of his leading prelates officiated at its dedication and opening. Faith was fascinated by his impressive costume, patriarchal appearance and majestic bearing, and insisted on speaking to him, much to his pleased amusement, so that he took a charming interest in this curious child, our always-friendly Faith, blessed her, and had her stand with him in the official photographing of those present at the dedication, which photo we still may have somewhere.
10. FAITH AND MY SON, JONATHAN, CONTINUED TO ENJOY FELLOWSHIP WITH THE ORTHODOX PRIEST at their exhibits there throughout the Summer, and found them amongst the most friendly and sincere of all the religious exhibitors, which was their first exposure to extensive contact with the Greek Orthodox Church.
11. LATER IN 1971 WHEN WE VISITED CYPRUS for the first time, we found it an idyllic and beautiful Paradise Isle under Makarios' benign and peaceful rule, and both its Greek and Turkish citizens extremely friendly, helpful and receptive and responsive to our message, as well as unusually hospitable and interested in our work, and freely opening to us both their hearts and homes. In fact, we fell so in love with Cyprus, its peaceful, healthy, delightful climate, quaint pastoral scenes, picturesquely historical monuments to a glorious past and intensely religious background and wonderful people, we were loath to leave.
12. SO IT'S QUITE SIGNIFICANT THAT ON MY 54th BIRTHDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1973, WHILE STILL IN THE SPIRIT after the famous "Birthday Warning" Prophecy, and gazing at a gift bottle of Birthday wine from Cyprus, I began telling Faith she should go and see Makarios while on a coming contemplated visit to Cyprus. Suddenly the following began to come in a strong foreign accent:
General Grivas sheds the blood of innocents,
Raises the spectre of pain!
Brings war where there is no more war,
But Makarios will not have it again!
13. FAITH, YOU TELL BISHOP MAKARIOS THERE IS ANOTHER BISHOP HE NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT--BISHOP DAVID--and I love him and pray for him, and God will bless him if he be good to Turks who kill me. But I love them and I forgive them. You tell him Bishop David is Bishop of Orthodox Church--the right Church--the Orthodox Church. We love him and pray for him and love Cyprus. What he have is better than nothing, so he do the best he can with what little sour dry wine he has! So with what he has, he create wonders in Cyprus!
14. JESUS HAS LIVING APHRODITE (GODDESS OF CYPRUS) every day and everywhere in every time! Jesus has embodiment of the Spirit of the Love of God! His Holy Spirit of God is the Goddess of Love with her old Adonis, Spirit of the Love of God!
15. BISHOP MAKARIOS GOVERNS WITH THE GOODWILL OF DAVID, because David likes him to govern. Tell Makarios he has nothing to worry about Grivas as long as he stay close to Children of God of David, because they make him very strong to keep peace in Cyprus. The peace of his country depends on how he treat Children of God, and how he give sweet peace to Children of David. Then he have freedom from bad seed of General Grivas.
16. (GOD SPEAKS:) MAKARIOS HAS MANY WHO LOVE HIM BECAUSE OF MY MERCY. He has the blessing of My Spirit because I give him love, but his religion is very dry and very sour like his wine. Tell Bishop Makarios David loves him--the great Prophet of this age--David prays for him and weeps for him, and weeps for the peace of his people. David loves him very much. David weeps for him so much, and David prays for him so much!
17. (Later on 29/3/73--In the evening we had watched an interview of Makarios on TV. Early the next morning this came:) Those that touch the Lord's anointed shall never prosper--like those other Bishops and Grivas. But he (Makarios) looks like a king, he dresses like a king, and he walks like a king! Those commentators and the rest of the world wonder what it is about him that makes him so charming and fascinating: It is because he behaves himself so kingly! He acts like a king and dresses like a king and walks like a king, because he is a king. He knows he's playing a part and wearing the costume. He knows it has an attractiveness to it, charm and dignity, and he's very wise to use it. People love the dramatic. He has a very small kingdom, but he's one of God's greats!
18. THE SUPERPOWERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HE WAS DOING, but if it hadn't been for his peace-making wisdom, it could have started another world war over his little island. God turns His very great wheels upon very small pivots. He's a very small wheel, but very great wheels are affected by his turning. For he is like a small gear between many great wheels. Sometime maybe I'll draw you a picture of what I saw. It is not the size of the wheel which determines its importance. One very small wheel governing the rotation of many great wheels, and one very small gear can control the synchronisation of many much larger gears.
19. (GOD SPEAKS:) I HAVE MADE HIM A VERY STRONG FIRM LITTLE GEAR between many, many much larger gears. He both keeps them apart, but he also causes them to work together, and the men in blue (UN soldiers) are the angels of My mercy from the power that would head the world.
20. (I CANNOT TURN TOWARD YOU TO RECEIVE FROM THE LORD: I must turn to the Lord. You must turn toward me to receive from Him, not I to you.)
21. EVEN SO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD DO TURN TOWARD THESE SMALL ONES TO RECEIVE FROM ME.
22. (Hallelujah! God bless him! He has blessed him. I only tell you what I see. I can tell you no more than what God shows me!)
23. BUT THIS ONE IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE HIS BRETHREN, for I the Lord have made him thus, and it is I that have given him these gifts which make him a king amongst men!--Because I love My people and I bring them peace by him.
24. (MAKARIOS PRAYS:) BUT NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED, FOR THERE BE MANY THAT RISE UP AGAINST ME. THEREFORE, SAVE ME, O LORD, from him that would lift his foot against me. (Amen, do save him, in Jesus' Name!) For this little one within (Grivas) that lifteth his hand against me is not my greatest enemy, but it is those without who have sent him who conspire against me. (Greece and U.S.?) For they hate Thee, O God, Thou who hast set me up upon Thy throne, Thou Who hast caused me to reign. Many strong dogs, evil beasts and foul wolves have risen against me, and would tear from me the lambs of Thy fold that Thou hast given me! But behold, O God, I pray unto Thee, and I plead my cause in Thy Name, that Thou shouldst save me and my people from those without who would devour us! (Even so, Lord Jesus, save him!)
25. THIS IS THE PRAYER OF HIM THAT SEEKETH MY FACE, Mine anointed whom I have placed and set upon My throne to rule My people. And behold, I shall be with him, even as he is with Me. As long as he leaneth upon Me, His God, Who is his strength, even with what measure he seeketh My face, so shall I also defeat his enemies round about him, and with what measure he buildeth up My people in Me will I destroy them who would destroy him.
26. FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER who hath delivered him into My hand for his righteousness, while the world wonders at his ministry that I have given, even upon this tiny island which I did bless with thy presence. For they blessed thee and received thee, and shall receive thee and thine to their good. For I will do them good, for they did receive thee and bless thee for thy love from Me.
27. CLOSE THE BOOK. THE CANDLE IS QUENCHED. Sssh! Ring not the bell lest thou disturb him. Jesus bless him, Lord, and keep him, O Lord, for he is thy son and thou art his Father.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family}
