rebuilding ...

I just returned from a week's stay in Dresden and had the opportunity to explore that city. It was extensively bombed in the final days of the second World War and spent the following forty + years as part of the former Soviet block. After the reunification of Germany, Dresden began to rebuild. The Frauenkirche (Our Lady's Church) is the jewel of that rebuilding campaign. It has been restored to much of its former glory as the pictures that I took show. Even the statue of Martin Luther has been given its proper place.

The interior takes your breath away. There is a cross made from the bent and twisted steel from the original church that is the only reminder of the darker days. It is an impressive demonstration of the desire of a community to restore and rebuild. Most of the money that financed the rebuilding came from private contributions. When you sit in that church and take in its beauty, it is hard not to think about how much all of our lives need rebuilding. It is encouraging to know what would have seemed impossible in 1945, has been done and that the city is not a prisoner of those painful times.

We all have choices about rebuilding -- right now our nation is rebuilding its economy; and many are rebuilding dreams that were broken. Dresden tells us that it is possible to choose to restore, rebuild and put the bad days behind us. The people of Dresden choose to remember the beauty that was once there. That is the great message of the Frauenkirche -- that restoration is possible.

There is another Rebuilder who specializes in broken lives. Just this morning our pastor reminded us all that Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). The apostle Paul tells us that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The most amazing thing about God's rebuilding plan is that it is all about grace and mercy. He rebuilds because He loves us -- not because we deserve it, but because He chooses to do so. All He requires of us is that we choose to walk in His plan, listen to His voice, and let Him change us into the image and likeness of His Son.

Dresden shows us what men can do when they choose to rebuild. A redeemed life shows us what God can do when He rebuilds.

Keep the faith!

Richard