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Unbenanntes Dokument
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Grandfather's Legacy
The Story of my Grandfather Standing for Christ
under the Nazis of Hitler Germany
and under the Communist Behind the Berlin Wall
by Michael Furchert
In 1938, the Nazis marched into the house of my grandfather who was a public school teacher and a professing Christian. And in the public eye of Hitler Germany this posed an unreconcilable conflict. Now the Nazis demanded that he had to take down the painting of Jesus Christ towering over his study desk, join the Nazi Party, conform to their beliefs and follow their doctrines.
My grandfather took courage, stood up to them and declared: "This painting remains!" refusing to join their party or turn away from his Christian faith. The Nazis, angered by his resistance, took action against him. He was exposed to discrimination and persecution, finally dismissed from his position as a German school teacher and sent into the battlefields of World War II. An easy way to get rid of someone who did not conform to Nazi beliefs. The proclamation of his Christian faith and the life he lived had been a thorn in their flesh for much too long.
As he went through WW2 he continued to gain his strength through his trust and faith in Jesus Christ. He prayed that God would not make him an instrument of this war of aggression and unrightouness, rather an instrument of His love and faithfulness in a world that had drifted so far away from Him. In the middle of war and violence, terror and tragedies he continued to hold tight to the promise of the word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If there was any reason for him to be released from his teaching position and sent into the war at all, then, so he thought, to be a light in a world that had grown cold and dark. To be beacon of hope in a world full of violence and destruction, hopelessness, fear and uncertainties, and to spread the message of Christ's salvation with people who were lost and hurting. He continued to pray that God would keep him from having to take the life of someone else, rather allow him to be a witness of Christ love and faithfulness.
After Hitler was defeated, the Communists ruled over East Germany. My grandfather, who after a series of miraculous protections from danger, death and two certain executions had returned safe from World War II, had regained his teaching position at an East German school. Now it was the Communists who marched into his house demanding he had to take down the painting of Christ over is study desk and join the Communist party.
Once again he took courage, stood up to them and declared "This painting remains!". He refused to join their party, refused to submit to their beliefs and would not compromise his Christian faith. As before, discrimination and persecution were the inevitable response. Once again, he lost his teaching position and was sent into retirement, deprived of his rightful pension after three decades of teaching.
But my grandfather would rejoice in all circumstances. "I know that my Redeemer lives" was his firm proclamation under freedom as well as under persecution. He knew that following Christ was not always easy and that the Bible didn't speak about comfortable Christianity. Faith was free but it wasn't cheap. There was a cost to consider and a price to pay.
But he also knew the price that Christ had paid for his Salvation. This was the greatest gift of all and he never wanted to turn away from God's love and faithfulness. His stories of an uncompromised Christian faith intrigued me, his unwavering example inspired me.
I wanted so much to visit him, listen to his life stories, see the painting of Christ over his study desk, eat the cooking of my grandmother, listen to her devotions and Bible readings. But this dream was shattered by the reality of the Berlin Wall, a 12 foot tall concrete block with electric fences and barbed wire, guarded by armed soldiers on high security towers.
My grandparents, who had been able to immigrate to West Berlin before I was born, now lived in a world I was not privileged to visit. But the stories of an unwavering and uncompromised faith of my grandfather encouraged and inspired me as I myself grew up under the dictatorship of Communist East Germany behind the Berlin Wall that now separated our family, our city and our nation.
Again it were the faithful prayers of my grandparents, the encouragement and faith of my grandfather that inspired us to confess our faith in Christ boldly behind the Berlin Wall. My father a pastor and my mother a Sunday school teacher led their congregation faithfully through the struggles of the persecuted church of Communist East Germany as they brought them the life changing message of Christ's Salvation. Throughout the years of Communist rule my grandparents continued to encourage us to stand strong in the letters they sent to us across the Berlin Wall. Having experienced discrimination and persecution himself as well as the depth of God's faithfulness the words of my grandfather would always be profound, uplifting and meaningful:
"Be Strong! In the name of the Lord, be strong and stand your ground so your joy in Him may be complete. Keep praying that all that is disturbing your life, all injustice and all fear is buried in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and always remember that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, our Good Shepherd will always have the victory. Be blessed and protected in the Lord."
Against all odds, in November 1989 the Berlin Wall came down. After decades of hardships and separation we could finally be reunited as a family. I could walk hand-in-hand with my grandfather through the streets of his city, listen to his life stories and see the painting of Christ over his study desk, - the painting that I had heard so many stories about, that he had never taken down, no matter the cost or the consequences.
But my grandfather had grown old by now. He gathered us around him and thanked God in gratefulness that he could still live to see the day that the Berlin Wall came down and his family was reunited once again. He knew his remaining time with us would not last forever and asked us what we would like to inherit so he could pass it on to us. As I walked through his apartment there was one thing that most of all captured my attention:
"Grandfather" I said "I really would like to have this painting of Christ over your study desk..." He looked at me with a gentle smile "This painting has carried me through life, I have never taken it down." he said. "Not when the Nazis demanded so, not when the Communist demanded so. I always wanted to put Christ first in my life. I wanted to follow Him first, and be faithful to him as he had been faithful to us when he gave his life for us so we could live."
"It was not always easy. There was a cost to consider and a price to pay. There was unrighteousness to endure for our faith, at times discrimination and persecution. But God has always been faithful to us. I have never taken down this painting... and I should not take it down now either. I would like it to remain over my study desk until the last day of my life. But once the Lord has called me home I shall pass it on to you - as my legacy."
A few years ago my grandfather died. And though we missed him dearly, we were rejoicing that he was about to see the One he had believed in and followed so faithfully his whole life long. He had always proclaimed "I know that my Redeemer lives". Not "I think so", not even "I believe".... But "I KNOW!"
We were so grateful for his example of an uncompromising and unwavering Christian faith in the middle of hardships, difficulties and trials. It had meant so much encouragement and inspiration to us as we lived our own lives and faith behind the Berlin Wall of Communist East Germany. We were thankful for the legacy he left behind for us to carry on.
The painting of Christ now hangs over my study desk. I have promised to God I shall never take it down. It has become a daily reminder of the price that Christ has paid for our Salvation. It is a reminder to me of the choices we have to make in life, a reminder that we can only follow one Lord in our lives. We can take Salvation for free, but we should not take it for granted. If we do not make Jesus Christ Lord of all, we actually don't make him Lord at all...
This painting shows the Great Commission, Jesus Christ sending out his disciples into all the world to preach and live the Good News that God, who loves us, has provided for us a way of Salvation, forgiveness of sin, everlasting life and everlasting freedom through Jesus Christ. And as the painting of Jesus Christ has become the lagacy of my grandfather, so has his strong faith and his confident proclamation: "I Know That My Redeemer Lives!"
© 2003 Michael Furchert
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