Week of May 1, 2000
Nancy E.

Some readers may remember an earlier devotion I wrote on this topic. It never fails ..... getting away from the rigors and stress of everyday life always provide a spiritual event for me. It is my hope that sharing some of my travel ministries with you will provide a religious affect for you too.

In March, my husband Jack and I traveled to Germany. Our home base was Leipzig. The theme for this trip centered on J.S. Bach as this is a year that celebrates both the 315th year of his birth and the 250th year of his death. We planned a week to visit places that served as important milestones in his life. Leipzig was especially important to Bach; he spent 27 years there as city music director, organist, choir master, and composer. Among other activities, we visited (and heard musical services) in both St. Thomas and St. Nicholas -- the two churches Bach served that still remain in Leipzig.

St. Nicholas (Nikolaikirche) was the place for one of those miracles that happens in our own life time -- one of those that needs to be remembered. In the early eighties, Monday evening prayers-for-peace services began in Nikolaikirche. By September 1989, different objectives of the "grass roots groups" consisting of Christians and Non-Christians who attended the peace services resulted in a situation where it was not always easy to maintain a clerical atmosphere during the meetings. Still, together attendees explored the topicality of the Bible's message -- especially Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. A leaflet available in the church, written by Rev. C. Fuher, explains what happened. Reading that leaflet was especially meaningful to me. I share some of what was in the leaflet with you.

"Nikolaikirche -- open to all" became reality in autumn 1989 and surprised us all. It united people from the whole of the former GDR -- those who wanted to leave the country and those who were curious; regime critics and Stasi (State Security Police) personnel; church staff and SED members; Christians and Non-Christians -- beneath the outspread arms of the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ.

In view of the political reality between 1949 and 1989, this defies all imagination. It became reality exactly 450 years after the introduction of the Reformation in Leipzig and 176 years after the Battle of Nations in Leipzig. Again, it was Leipzig leading the way once more.

From May 8, 1989, the entrance streets to the Nikolaikirche were blocked by the police. (Nancy note: The church is located in the middle of what we would call a downtown area.) Later, these same entrance streets as well as motorway exits from the city were subject to large-scale checks or even closed during the prayers-for-peace period. Authorities exerted great pressure on us to cancel the peace prayers or at least to transfer them to the city limits. Monday after Monday there were arrests or "temporary detentions" in connection with the peace prayers. Even so, the number of visitors flocking to the church continued to grow to a point where the 2,000 seats were no longer sufficient. Then came the all-deciding day -- October 9, 1989. What a day that was!

There was a hideous show of force by soldiers, industrial militia police and plainclothes officers. But the opening scene had taken place two days before on October 7, the 40th anniversary of the GDR, which was entered in GDR history as Remembrance Day. On this day, for 10 long hours, uniformed police battered defenseless people who made no attempt to fight back and took them away in trucks. Hundreds of them were locked up in stables in Markkleeberg. In due course, an article was published in the press saying that it was high time to put an end to what they called "counterrevolution, if necessary by armed forces". That was what the situation was like on October 9, 1989.

Moreover, some 1,000 SED party members had been ordered to go to Nikolaikirche for the Monday night prayer service. Six hundred of them had already filled up the church nave by 2:00 P.M. They had a job to perform like the numerous Stasi personnel who were on hand regularly at the peace prayers. What had not been considered was the fact that these people were exposed to the word, the gospel and its impact! I always appreciate that the Stasi members heard the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount every Monday. Where else would they hear these? These Stasi members heard Jesus Christ's gospel which they didn't know, in a church they could not do anything with. They heard from Jesus who said,

"Blessed are the poor!"
...And not, wealthy people are happy.
 
"Love your enemies!"
...And not, down with your opponent.
 
"Many who now are first will be last!"
...And not, everything stays the same.
 
"You are the salt!"
...Not, you are the cream.
 
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it!"
...Not, take great care.

Thus, the prayers for peace took place in unbelievable calm and concentration. Shortly before the end of each service, before the blessing was given, appeals by Kurt Masur, chief conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra (Nancy Note: world-known musician), and others who supported our call for nonviolence, were read aloud. The solidarity between church and art, music and the gospel was of importance in the threatening situation of those days.

On October 9, 1989, the prayers for peace ended -- as always -- with the blessing and urgent call for nonviolence. More than 2,000 people leaving the church were welcomed by ten thousand waiting outside with candles in their hands -- an unforgettable moment. Two hands are necessary to carry a candle and to protect it from extinguishing so that you cannot carry stones or clubs at the same time. The miracle occurred. Jesus' spirit of nonviolence seized the masses and became a material, peaceful power. Troops, military brigade groups and the police were drawn in, became engaged in conversations, then withdrew. It was an evening in the spirit of our Lord Jesus for there were no winners and no defeated, nobody triumphed over the other, nobody lost face. There was just a tremendous feeling of relief.

This nonviolent movement only lasted a few weeks. But it caused the party and ideological dictatorship to collapse.

"He dethrones the mighty ones and enthrones the weak ones." "You will succeed, not by military powers or by your own strength, but by my spirit," says the Lord. This is what we experienced.

There were thousands in the churches.....hundreds of thousands in the streets around the city center during these few weeks........but, not a single shattered shop window. This was the incredible experience of the power of nonviolence.

Horst Sindermann, who was a member of the Central Committee of the GDR, said before his death -- "We had planned everything. We were prepared for everything. But not for candles and prayers."

The prayers for peace services still continue. Nikolaikirche remains what it was: a house of Jesus, a house of hope, a place and a source for a new beginning.

Dear Lord, continue to guide Nikolaikirche in their prayers for peace. Support them in their current initiative for the unemployed. Let us learn from their powerful demonstration that nonviolence is the way to peace. Amen.

Contributed by Nancy E.
Published Monday May 1, 2000
Week 23 of Liturgical Year B