It is my usual Friday routine to feature a video (often a commercial) and draw some biblical or spiritual principle from it. The video below is no commercial; it is post-war footage from Berlin in July of 1945. Interestingly it is in color, but it can only be described as eerie. People walk about among the ruins in something of a daze. Not a word is said throughout. The people appear to be trying to get back to “normal” life in the middle of a city that has been reduced to rubble. Some have injuries: one man is missing a leg, another an eye. A bucket brigade works to clear away some of the rubble. Throughout, silence and sadness permeate the footage. The Berlin gate is still open, but already there are British and Russian sectors defined. An Iron Curtain will drop and a wall be built in the near future.
Scripture says, For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come (Heb 13:14). Berlin was eventually rebuilt, but not so many other great cities such as Ephesus and Carthage. Their once great, colonnaded streets and palatial buildings are merely impressive ruins today. Sic transit gloria mundi (thus passes the glory of the world).
On Ash Wednesday we were reminded that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. Each of us is going to die, and we don’t get to say when or how. On account of Jesus, our death will usher in new life if we are faithful.
Keep us faithful, Lord, unto our certain death and let no worldly thing so impress us that we forget that its time is limited.
The days of future past. Looks like Syria, Iraq and Lybia. Europe is well on it’s way for a do over and we may be too culturally divided and morally and spiritually bankrupt to stop it. In the end it is military intervention and God fearing people who bring about some symblance of peace but you have to cross hell to eternity to get there. Truely I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on that day of judgement than for this present generation.
Actually, this video depicting life and architecture in Berlin does not look too bad compared to the complete and utter destruction of Warsaw by the Germans and Soviets. In fact, thanks to “giving away” Poland to the Soviets at Yalta (thank you FDR), the war did not end until 1989. Yet, despite the mass murders (Katyn, for example), forced labor camps, and persecution of every Polish citizen after German defeat, Poland has literally risen from the ashes and remains strong in the Faith. Poland never surrendered, its spirit never defeated, and the Church has flourished. The Republic of Poland’s government, PiS, is aligned with the teachings of the Church, and the West hates it, especially Merkel, who pushes her Godless NWO EU agenda on Poland, threatening her with sanctions and fines. Mary is the Queen of Poland and last year the Church and government consecrated Poland to Christ the King, formally recognizing Christ as King of Poland. Poland…a much better example to think about during Lent than Germany. Poland is the last hope for the Church in these troubled times.
Fred, thank you. Poland has been an inspiration to me for 30 years. Your perspective on that deepens that and gives me hope.