Sometimes wandering can be greatly enhanced by having the counsel of a professional. Last year when we visited Munich, Germany, we used Rick Steves Munich City Walk audio tour on our phones. There were a few things that we would have missed if not for Rick’s guiding. One of those things was Viscardgasse (pictured).
Just on the other side of this “gasse” (German for “alley”), lay a plaza containing a memorial dedicated to the so-called “martyrs of the Third Reich.” These were early Nazis who had been killed in Hitler’s coup attempt in 1923. Germans were required to raiser their arms in a Nazi-style salute as they entered the plaza. The only way to avoid this order was to turn down Viscardgasse instead. The golden stream of shiny cobblestones is a reminder of the detour taken by those who bravely refused to comply.
Today as I write this, we remember one of the great religious leaders of our times, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His belief in a God who loves all of creation — all of humanity — led him to choose a path of non-compliance in order to change laws that discriminated against African Americans. I encourage you in your study of scripture, in your use of the means of grace, in regular prayer and in faithful conversation with other Christians, each day to consider the path Jesus is inviting us to take.
+BJST