Unity Day

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On this day in 1990, East and West Germany reunified to become one country.

The Berlin Wall had separated families, neighbors, and friends for years. In 1945, those living in the east became part of the Soviet Union (USSR) and lived under communist rule. Those in the west maintained their freedom.

When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, west Germans struggled to help their eastern brothers. Those living under Soviet rule lived in dilapidated apartments, bought groceries at stores with few supplies, and were restricted where they could go, to name a few hardships.  

During the 1980's, many Soviet territories rebelled against the communist hold on their countries. Gradually communism lost control.

Many people raised in the USSR believed other countries really lived like them. Even years later. A family member visited relatives in the United States and one night the topic of grocery stores came up. 

We took him to a store where he saw shelves filled with food. 

He said, "This is a store you take visitors to. All your stores are not like this."  We took him to nine different grocery stores all having shelves filled with food items to buy. He still did not believe.

I could understand. He had been raised to believe one way, of course he would struggle to accept a different view no matter what proof was given. In time, he saw, understood, and believed American grocery stores had food.

When we share our faith in Christ with someone and he/she shows an inability to understand or otherwise rejects what we share . . . be patient. 

After all, the apostle Paul needed a jolt to get his attention.