In a BBC article today, Mark Mardell writes:

The voices I hear on the streets [in Europe]…
mourn the fact that there is no leader with a map, a compass and a purpose, who can offer some hope that there is a way out of the swamp…
It chills me a little. ‘No more heroes any more’ I think to myself.
The shadow of the 30s, bullies in big boots with simplistic solutions, hangs heavily over Europe’s economic woes. History surely isn’t about to repeat itself?
Yet in nearly all our countries there is a vacancy for someone who understands people’s pain even if he or she cannot make it go away, and for someone who appears to have a clear plan that has a chance of working.
As far as I am concerned, those in need of equine support or with a love of uniforms need not apply.

Please pray for this continent!

I missed church today… but have a good explanation: a wonderful cellist and special friend of Haus Nazareth (he organized the benefit concert of young musicians) gave Matthias and Sieglinde tickets to a concert of the Waseda Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo) at the Berlin “Philharmonie”. The hour and a half performance was amazing, especially the concluding rhythm piece by the Japanese composer Maki Ishii.

But the 45 minute piece by Richard Strauss “Ein Heldenleben” (A Hero’s Life) made the deepest impression on me… Not really knowing the work, as I listened to the music (which is, to put it mildly, “over the top”) I could not help wondering to myself: “Who in the world did Strauss write this to honor?” As I read the program at the interval, all became clear: Strauss wrote it about himself, the heroic artist standing against the criticism of smaller spirits.

Quite a contrast to J. S. Bach (a work of whom was also played after the pause). Bach was a passionate follower of Jesus, who often wrote in at the end of his compositions SDG “sola deo gloria”: “Glory be to God alone!”

Quite a choice for us humans, too: who’s your hero?

More mundane but no less exciting news: Tomorrow the work begins on the heating in the basement. God has provided just enough funds to move the next step on the journey! Hopefully (and prayerfully!) we anticipate the children’s services offices moving into the basement by May. This, in turn, will free up the “Garden House” for ministry (the church of the Nazarene is renting it for their services; they are special folk and we look forward to them being with us for while yet!).

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!