7/6 - Berlin - "Walls"

As a group, we did not sleep much on the plane. There were many reasons, but mostly, we felt cramped up in economy class. However, with increased motivation to get off the plane, we were excited to finally be in Germany.

Our tour guide, Silvo, greeted us outside of baggage claim and promptly began showing us his capital city around 10am. From the bus, we were shown the residence and office of both the Chancellor and President. Interestingly enough, the President if a former Lutheran minister and the Chancellor is the daughter of a Lutheran minister. We could not help but grin.

We were fortunate enough to check into our hotel early (around 1130) and exercise some free time become going back on tour at 1600 (4pm). Some of us explored the streets and shops around the hotel, some dined on Turkish food, and others found McDonald's, Burger King, and Dunkin' Donuts. Nearly all of us napped. Speaking only for myself, the 2 hour nap what the necessary recharge for what lay ahead - the remnants of the Berlin Wall.

Throughout the entirety of Berlin, where the Berlin Wall once stood there now lays a brick trail marking the former location of where the Wall stood.

However, not all of the Wall was removed, for The Berlin Wall Museum stands as a monument and memorial to those who died in bondage by the Wall.


One of the casualties of the Berlin Wall was a church building. When the Wall which erected in 1961. The Church of Reconciliation found itself in the middle of the security zone, standing in solidarity within the 'death zone' as a quiet protest against the wall. In 1985 the East German government silenced this quiet protest by blowing it up. Today, the Chapel of Reconciliation now stands upon the former location of its older sister, with iron inlay in the soil marking the outline of the original structure surrounded by the relics of its ruins, still speaking its quiet protest.

Our tour guide grew up in East Germany. After the wall came down and East Germany began the process of reunification with West Germany, the government files kept of the East German citizens were accessible for those who desired to see their files. Keep in mind, during the Cold War, East German citizens spied on one another. Friends would inform the government on their neighbors. Wife would report on her husband, and husband would report on his wife. Silvio's parents made the conscious decision to not view their files, because they simply did not want to know this information. But others did find out who spied on them, and relationships fractured.

The Berlin Wall produced nothing but casualties. When it went up, people were cut off from their families, friends, and fellow Berliners and Germans. Homes were destroyed, churches blown apart, and suspicion grew upon our neighbors. Then, when the Wall came down, more walls erected as people found out who spied on them, resulting in divorces and feuds.

Luther was always trying to tear down walls between God and humankind, particularly walls erected by the church. In Luther's very deep personal struggles in trying to leap over and break through these walls to access and obtain God and God's grace by his own efforts, Christ showed Luther the cross. It is not by our leaps and efforts do we gain God's grace, but only by and from Jesus himself. ".. I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes through the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Jesus came not to be Luther's nor your cheerleader to jump over the barrier (sin) to God , Rather, Jesus has come as the Means to pass through, even tear down, the wall of sin, for Jesus says. "I am the gate." (John 10:9)