John McKeel
Berlin, 1973
My senior year of High School, I dropped out of German language classes. “When will I ever need to speak German?” I reasoned. Two years later I was standing on a doorstep in Berlin waiting for someone to answer the doorbell. Like many young soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, I was afraid I would be stationed far away with no other Christians to worship with. I was in the Army and I was trying to find the Gemeinde Christi (“Church of Christ”).
Of course, I shouldn’t have been afraid. Like many military families have discovered since the days of Cornelius the Centurion in Acts chapter 10, if there isn’t a church, just start one in your home! You don’t need a preacher – we are all priests (1 Peter 2:9). You don’t even need a building. Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Today there are churches around the world founded by “military missionaries.”
The door opened and I mumbled, “Guten Tag.” (“Good day.”)
A sweet grey-haired lady smiled and answered, “Guten Tag.”
I panicked. Here was a real, live German person standing in front of me. She smiled again and looked at me. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. If only I had finished my High School German classes! Why did I drop out? Why? Why? Why? Suddenly I remembered one of the practice phrases I had learned and without thinking, I blurted out, “Ich kann meine Gummischuhe nicht finden!” (“I can’t find my galoshes.”)
Marianne broke out laughing and replied, “Amerikanische ja?” and with that she invited me in to her home – a home that was used by Christians as a church every Sunday. She brought me tea and cookies and chatted away the afternoon showing me photo albums and laughing infectiously. I didn’t understand a word, but I didn’t need to. We were brother and sister.
Soldiers had started the church when they were stationed in Berlin many years before. They were gone now but the Germans who obeyed the gospel continued to meet and worship and share the good news to this day.
Isn’t that a great thought? We have brothers and sisters we haven’t met yet. We truly are a family: the family of God.
A special thanks to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines today – especially those who carry the gospel with them wherever they go!