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Unbenanntes Dokument
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How an Almost Certain Execution
Turns Into a Miracle of God's Intervention
During the course of World War II the division in which my grandfather was serving captured a group of enemy troops. Hastily they had set up a provisional prisoner's of war camp to take them in. While the officers had to move on with the rest of the troops to a different location, my grandfather was commanded to stay at the camp and guard the POWs over night. He was given specific orders to shoot if anyone would try to escape, otherwise, he would face his own execution for disobeying military commands.
My grandfather had never believed in this war. From the early days that Hitler had risen to power he had been one of the few Christians who had the heart and courage to stand against him. He had continually refused to join the Nazi Party and as a consequences was dismissed from being a public school teacher and sent into the battle fields of WWII. An easy way to get rid of someone who did not conform to the Nazi belief and its imposing ideology.
And as he had gone through WWII he had prayed so often that God would not make him an instrument of this war of aggression and unrightousness, but rather an instrument of His love. It was his desire to be a light in a world that had grown cold and dark, full of violence and destruction, hopelessness and uncertainty, and to spread the message of Christ's salvation with people who were lost and hurting. He continued to pray that God would not lead him into a situation where he would have to take the life of someone else, rather allow him to be a witness of Christ love and faithfulness.
And now he was sitting in the hastily erected POW camp. He was the only patrolling guard that night and the orders were clear; "If anyone moves, shoot!" My grandfather knew that it was the military duty of any captured POW to try everything in their power to escape to get back to their troops or at least to cause as much distress to the enemy as possible. Every German soldier that was assigned to chase after an escaped POW, was one less soldier the allied troops would have to battle in the field. It was a certainty that they would try to escape. Knowing the captured prisoners were allies who had come to liberate Germany, knowing the commands of his officers, and above all knowing the command of God, he found himself in a moral conflict and once again he turned to God in prayer.
As he sat down at an old oak tree, worn our and exhausted from the war, praying to God that night for guidance and intervention, he fell asleep. His gun dropped down to the ground. The POWs were free to go, and if they would leave him alive his execution under the Nazi regime would be an inevitable fate. But something happened that night, while he was asleep, that left him puzzled and amazed. As he woke up in the morning, realizing with a shiver of shock and fear that he had fallen asleep, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder from behind. He turned around. "Don't you worry, Herr Neubert," a gentle voice said. "We are all still here..."
It was unbelievable! But yet it was true! Not one had escaped. The door to freedom was wide open, the only guard sleeping at the tree, the gun dropped down to the ground. And yet all POWs had stayed behind. And he was soon about to learn the reason why. My grandfather was a man who had made real with his Christian faith, even with the most difficult of God's commands "Love your enemies". He had treated them with Christian care and concern, respect and dignity. They said there had been a radiance of love, grace and compassion about him, something godly and divine. They had seen a difference in him and they knew if they would escape, his life would be taken. And in order to spare his life from execution they had all decided to stay behind and wait with the escape for another day with a different guard...
Are we living our lives in ways that others can see we belong to Jesus Christ? Are we truly different, truly changed? Sometimes it seems difficult enough to live our Christian faith in a way that is honorable in front of our own family, our Christian friends or our church community. But in order to be Christlike our utmost call to is to live our lives for the glory of God in a way that even our opponents and enemies would honor and respect us for the faith and godliness they see in us. Has unlimited freedom and its easy and comfortable Christianity prepared us for such a walk of faith, for such commitment and sincerity? Or have we drifted into superficialness and made God little more than culture and tradition? Can people truly see a difference in our lives? A difference so grave that they marvel with reference at the God we serve and seek to know Him?
It is my challenge to you and I, to make real with our faith so people can see whom we serve. It is easy to impress our Christian friends and church community, but how wonderful would it be if even our enemies and opponents would honor and respect us for the shining example of faith and God's love they see in us? Let us renew our commitment to follow Him today so we can carry a radiance of his love into a lost and hurting world. And let us know that regardless of circumstances, God is faithful to those who put their faith and trust in His power and strength.
May God bless you very much!
Michael <><
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