FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(11/01/2009)
HISTORY
IS HIS STORY
Cindy Hong
In
high school my foreign language of choice was German. In class I answered
to Kirsten. I learned to count, spell German words, and eat German chocolate
cake. On a roll, I applied to study abroad senior year so that bratwurst
and sauerkraut could be a daily menu item. The trip itself never materialized,
so one night I teleported myself there in my sleep. After landing in Berlin
on Sunday morning local time, church seemed a good idea. The taxi driver
said Wittenberg was an hour away with him driving, so I said “ ja ja , let's go there,” and off we went. I used the time together to practice my broken German, answering
ja ja and nein nein to his questions. He dropped me
off at Castle Church and I found a seat just as the boys' choir filed
in to sing. They belted out “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” in such a way that the heavens opened up. Halfway around the world God reminded
me that He is the bulwark that never fails. The preacher came up and shared
on Romans 1:17. He looked very familiar, but I couldn't put my finger
on where I saw him before. His passion for God's Word brought me back
to the present and it was a great reminder that no matter how much I try
to earn salvation and want to pay for my own sins, I am justified by God's
grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Stuffed with
spiritual food and feeling a little jetlagged, it seemed a good time to
eat. Spotting a Weenie King across the street I ordered two sausages,
fully-loaded with sautéed peppers in a toasted bun. Ahh, the heavens
opened up again. Satisfied, I decided to head back to the church and give
myself a tour to compare it with my home church in Houston . In the now
empty sanctuary I ran into the preacher himself, who took me back to his
office where books and papers covered the desk. He had just finished translating
the Bible into modern German because he believed that God's people should
be able to read the Bible in their own language. He gave me his card as
I left. It wasn't until later that evening I pulled it out and read it.
It said: Martin Luther, Reformer. No wonder he looked familiar, his picture
in several of my books. Wow, to think I actually met him. Only in my dreams…
Reformation
Day is celebrated on October 31 in remembrance of the Reformation
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