A bridge, a town and a park.

The bridge is the Remagen Peace Museum Bridge, then across the Rhine to the town Linz, Germany and then the park and community garden is in Bad Honnef.

Let us start with this … the eyes of the LORD, run to and fro through the whole earth… this is Zechariah speaking about 520 BC. Zechariah 4:10

So how does the Bible say God sees. This is interesting, His eyes chronicle and when I read these two verses I felt they counciled me as well.

Jesus speaking: ‘ Any speech that is empty, careless, thoughtless, or without constructive purpose that people speak, they will give account for in the day of judgement.’ Matthew 12:36

Daniel says: ‘ The judgement was set and the books were opened…’ Daniel 7:10

And here is Malachi speaking: ‘Then those that feared the LORD spoke often one to another and the LORD heard, and a book of remembrance was written…

Then you have this comforting thought spoken by Peter: ‘ The eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers.’ (1 Peter 3:12)

Then in the Psalms this is repeated a little differently: ‘ The eye of the LORD is on those that fear Him and those that have a confident, peaceful expectation that God’s compassion and forgiveness are always available to them.’ Psalm 33:18 (My understanding.)

Paul then says this: ‘ There is no creature that is not obvious in His sight but all things are as they really are and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.’ Hebrews 4:13

It is comforting to know that there is a judgement where those who have no voice will find resolutions because God sees now!

With these thoughts we visited the tower remains of a bridge destroyed during World War II, a place where a photographer, sculptor, artist and research group dealt with war honestly. My information comes from the walls of this place, a peace museum.

First here is a definition of war by the Hungarian Peace Researcher István Kende (1917-1988)

War is a mass-conflict of violence which displays the following criteria:

a) two or more armed forces participate in the fighting, in which, at least one of the sides, regular armed forces of the government are involved ( military, paramilitary organisations, police)

b) on both sides there must be at least a minimum of centrally – controlled organisation who conducts the war and the fighting.

c) the armed operations take place with a certain continuity and are not only occasional, spontaneous conflicts.

The walls of part of the bridge turret then had about 200 plaques with the dates and names of wars all over the world since 1945. This memory of wars is said to be ‘ A Monument against PEACELESSNESS.’

Below is an interesting account of the bronze sculpture ‘ Liebeskraft'(Love Power)

Outside this bridge museum you will have noticed a Peace statue by Barta. He died shortly afterward the placement of his work but was so pleased that this peace museum existed.

Then the photographer, Hilmar Parbel, who focused on people and how they experienced war was given space.

It was then at the top of the right tower that Christoph Heyduck has his art work. The most diverse faces of suffering.

It makes a deep impression on one of how awful war is.

So what did this bridge look like and what happened for us to appreciate this museum. This is an enlarged photograph from the one that can be seen in the corner.

The Remagen bridge was the last bridge over the Rhine during WWII, in 1945. The story is complex but the American soldiers were able to cross the Rhine from 7th March to 17th March in large enough numbers to make a difference to the war. It is still not known exactly why the bridge collapsed; wear and tear from being bombed and weakness from heavy use. It was the cause of death when it did fall. This is a story of war and a mighty bridge.

But, now it’s towers on the west bank are a peace museum where we are reminded that war is not an option to bringing peace and there has been no war here since then.

We then take a car ferry to the right bank of the Rhine where there are light hearted statues, timber framed homes and a joyful atmosphere of holiday makers and locals.

No, he wasn’t serving coke! He portrays an Easter tradition. In Catholic tradition , church bells fly to Rome between Good Friday and Easter, remaining silent. To replace the bells, local children run through the historic alleys swinging large wooden ratchets / clappers to announce the times of prayer. This statue is by the artist Inge Heim and is the Linzer Klapperjunge.

The Linzer Strünzer is a statue with a fountain which represents the local, old – established citizens of Linz. Strünzen means to exaggerate, boast or show off. Press on the photograph and you will see this in the figures and it will also become obvious that the present day dwellers are having a good time also.

A street and another fountain on a day when the sun shone for a while and then it rained so heavily that the cafés did very well.

Sunshine with rails of clothes out on the pavement but then were all soon inside.

Badhoffen was then about 9 miles from Remagen, this is where we spent Sabbath in a house church close to a community garden. We parked by a pond, had lunch and then I wondered why a person was pushing a lawn mower on the pavement. The answer was simple she was going to cut the lawn for the community garden where she said: ‘ Please pick some herbs for tea.’

‘ Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay.’

Sallust

Can you see red watering cans hanging on hooks on a pole. Parents were helping children collect water from the fountain and then water young trees and plants.

We were in a park close to the community garden providing so much enjoyment for young and old. Bad Honneff with a good experience of worship and so much surrounding it to enjoy.

Sometimes we need to press pause ‘ cause we are tired.

Take care,

Sandy 🙂

The beautiful Rhine.