Day 01 - Berlin/Wittenberg: Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Berlin Olympic Stadium

Our first day in Germany is in the books! After a long travel day yesterday, we woke up this morning in the German capital of Berlin! Today we had the opportunity to take in some of the more modern history of Germany. In addition to seeing some beautiful architecture & monuments, we also got to see some sobering reminders of what happens when a culture drifts from God as their source of truth. We started with a visit to the Babelplatz and saw the famous square where the 1933 Nazi book burning took place (a nationwide series of events that helped propel Hitler's ideologies). After visiting the Brandenburg Gate, we then visited two Cold War monuments: Checkpoint Charlie & a portion of what remains of the Berlin Wall. There, we discussed some of the significant implications of being a divided country. We also had a sobering visit to the Holocaust Memorial, built on the very location where Hitler's headquarters once stood. After lunch at Zoo Station, we drove to the Olympic Stadium. This was the site of the 1936 summer games. It was in this stadium where American, Jesse Owens, won 4 gold medals in front of Adolf Hitler.

The overarching theme we're covering throughout our Reformation trip is "Back to the Source!" In Latin, they would say "Ad Fontes" (meaning "to the fount"). We talked today about how the source (or fountainhead) of all truth, goodness, and beauty comes from God. Whenever we choose to drink from that fount, flourishing happens. However, whenever we deviate from that fount, in exchange for our own man-made mud holes, chaos & destruction ensues. If history teaches us anything about the human condition, it is that we are a people prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love; and in doing so, bring great harm not only to ourselves, but also to others. Today was a good opportunity for us to reflect upon areas of "drift" we may see in our own lives, and commit to the hard work of a daily reformation, that takes us back to our true Source! 

Tomorrow, we'll wake up in Wittenberg to start learning about a little known monk, whose desire was never to start something new, but rather to take the church back to the Fount they had gradually departed from. For now, it's time to get some more rest!