Ruslan, our Magister student from Kyrgyzstan, sent in his impressions from the Bible, Community and Context students’ trip to Germany in the footsteps of Martin Luther:
Early morning. I wake up at 06:30 to have time for making pictures around the cloister. After 20 minutes I am ready to walk and experience something of the old Erfurt. Waking up in the monastery where Luther lived as a monk is a vivid impression itself, but my heart is craving for more. So I go out and my next experience is not so nice – a typical European cold rain. I try to find something interesting around, but can’t because of the rain.
I decide to visit the church again before we leave the cloister. I am surprised to find it isn’t empty – some twelve Lutheran nuns, as they call themselves, are having their morning service. One of them reads something from the Bible. As it is German, I can understand only a few words. The sister is saying something about Jesus’ death and eternal life and invites the nuns to worship. It is really great. The singing in German in the Gregorian style under the arch of the old church is really an unforgettable impression. It gives me a good opportunity to talk with my God. Seizing the opportunity, I pray, with joy.
In the exultant mood I go out and find that the rain has stopped. I walk around and explore the vicinity. The faces of the people are anxious and worried. The pictures of Erfurt and the cloister at that moment are quite different. That is impossible to preserve on camera, but it happens regularly, at least in my heart.
Even though your heart is anxious, look for a place where the peace of the Lord Christ is.