It has been truly an amazing last few days.
On Tuesday, I flew from Spokane to Munich, Germany, arriving Wednesday morning. Then I spent a good day and a half with my wife's cousin, overcoming physical jetlag as well as spiritual complacency (nothing like a visit to a concentration camp to put things in perspective).
Thursday I flew from Munich to Berlin, and enjoyed navigating the city by bus to the incredible 4-story indoor train station, where I took the train to Wittemberg, which is about 1.5 hours from Berlin. I spent my time reading the Lord of the Rings on a double-decker train.
I was struck immediately upon arriving in Wittemberg Bahnhof (train station) when I saw the giant 5-story tall Bible with a big sign advertising the Reformation jubilee 1517-2017. Everywhere is the hashtag #reformationsommer (summer). From May until September, they are "doing it up big". Everywhere throughout the town there are signs and exhibits and even activities for all ages (like a scavenger hunt). So it's festive here, although as I have learned, Wittemberg was part of the DDR, the Communist East Germany. There were Christians (I met a principal who was converted by Christian friends)... but under atheist communism the churches suffered, then after the Iron Curtain went down and Germany reunified, this area actually became less religious... and is considered the most secular place in Germany.
That irony became super obvious when my ride picked me up and took me to the schools500reformation camp, which is situated in a former primary school, Karl Marx Schule. It closed down a few years after reunification, and was empty for the last 2 decades until it was retrofitted for a refugee camp. So refugees were there for about a year... then moved out in February 2017. That freed it up for our use. Though it was clean, the outside looked pretty run-down. Which didn't matter, except that it was on the edge of town and I didn't have any access to wi-fi. So that evening when I arrived, I was a little out of my element after a lot of travel... and the Schools camp was in full swing already (I was joining a group of educators from Christian schools with their students, from Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe... hosted by the German Evangelical Church (EKG). The high schoolers from Cameroon worked with a German Protestant school to make up their own musical and share it with us. So it was a long day, but I finally was given a bed and tumbled into it, grateful to be at my destination.
Yet my cultural and digital isolation made me feel a little bit like a refugee. What was I doing? What could happen here? Was it worth it?
All these lonesome questions were answered the next day, as I resolved to focus on serving others. I put myself into volunteer work Friday, helping out with setting up for the big 23rd June Global Reformation Day a few blocks away from the Castle Church in Wittenberg. I blew up helium balloons, set up chairs, etc. It was great when the German minister of education addressed us and encouraged our schools from around the world to show solidarity together, and stay true to the thought-provoking role that was true of the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago. We sang songs, and several schools had videos shared, including mine (Northwest Christian School). Then we all got balloons and got ready to march down to the Castle Church to let them all go, symbolizing our hopes and ideas for the future. I wrote down that whoever finds this balloon should consider reading the Bible and learning about the good news of God rescuing sinners from judgment, through His love expressed in Jesus.
The Reformation 500 years ago started as a personal reformation in one man's life, and then as he was renewed by the startling grace of God, he looked at his church through changed eyes. The Bible shaped his vision for the healing of the moral corruption and spiritual hypocrisy of Europe. His first salvo was his "95 Theses" which were written on the 31st October 1517 to the Archbishop of Mainz, protesting the un-Biblical ideas which had crept into the Church (paying money for the forgiveness of sins). While we dont know for sure the circumstances, apparently Luther nailed the Theses to the Castle Church Door. So after we let the balloons go, out group was given a very special favor, and the normally blocked-off door was opened for us to enter into the church. We had a service with a sermon and worship time (very different from what you may be used to), but it was meaningful. I felt blessed to stand next to the graves of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchton, not in a superstitious way, but simply remembering how God used people to achieve incredible things in history.
Today, I spent the morning at the schools camp, cheering on the kids who were playing Street Football (soccer) in teams. I said goodbye to the handful of kindred spirits I had discovered there (teachers), and left with friend Tomas for Wittenberg city center. I was able to locate a hotel that still had room (unfortunately about 15 blocks from town center). Speaking of town center, here I am with the statue of Martin Luther:
This afternoon I visited the home of Martin & Katie Luther (the former Augustinian monastery), then went to the English service at 5 pm today in the City Church (Stadtkirche). It was great to sing and pray and read the Bible in what is literally the Mother church of the Reformation. This was where the first Reformers effected change in Wittemberg, which spread throughout all of Germany, then Europe, then the Americas. So it is an ancient place that still inspires people. I have a lot of thoughts that I will be writing down as I process over the next few days.
Afterwards I was really dehydrated… I had skipped lunch what with trying to get to town and find a hotel. So I went to the Brauhaus and enjoyed a very good dinner… a giant bratwurst, with sauerkraut and masked potatoes. And possibly a drink made from hops.
Since then, I have been chilling out by myself in the town square and writing this blogpost. I was able to Messenger video my family for the first time since Wednesday! I was so happy.
My plan is to leave Wittemberg tomorrow for Berlin by train… and then spend a few days there. I fly back on Wednesday to Spokane.
Thank you all for your thoughts and support! I can’t wait to put into practice in my classroom the things I’ve learned and the cool historical background for the Reformation (which is background to American colonies).
Gute nacht!
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