John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Often I have been asked “What is your favorite country?” Or “What is the most beautiful country you’ve traveled in?” But I’ve never been asked “What is the most impressive country you’ve visited?”

Had that question been asked, the answer would have been “Germany!” The German people, the culture, the history, the architecture, the infrastructure and the landscape are remarkable.

We arrived in Berlin early one morning on a train from Malmo, Sweden. Coming in to the city from the north-east on a cool rainy morning in June, we traveled through what was East Berlin during the Cold War.

Tower cranes were too numerous to count. Technology in the form of communication towers were mingled among the houses and other buildings constructed hundreds of years previous.

Leaving the Berlin Zoo train station and walking on Budapester Street, we were looking for a hotel found in our travel book. Two young ladies recognized us as lost Americans and asked what we were looking for. They directed us to the street of the hotel where we checked in and dropped our backpacks.

I was trying to make a phone call to the U.S. with what I thought was a usable phone card; it wasn’t working. A man came over, placed his card in the slot and motioned for me to make the call. Upon completion of the call, he would not accept payment from me for the card use.

Those are just two examples of the friendly people we encountered in Germany. In Koblenz we took a boat north on the Rhine River to Andernach. Flowers, castles, cathedrals and other buildings are examples of German culture dating back hundreds, even thousands of years.

The Bavarian Alps and the Black Forests in Southern Germany display a beauty unsurpassed in much of the world. Traveling through those regions creates visions of the magnificent history of Germany.

Germanic peoples of the past such as the Franks, Goths, Saxons, and Alemanni leave a history of refined culture to war mongering. The variations in people groups contribute to the extreme diversity and consequent cultural history.

Then along came Hitler. Adolph Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany January 30, 1933. That’s when the German empire began to unravel and reach a state of evil that the world will long remember.

In Hitler’s socialist’s views and beliefs that the German (Aryan) people were superior to all the other races and ethnic people groups in the world led to an evil unsurpassed. That belief threw the world into World War II and cost the lives of millions.

The resulting Holocaust/murder of six-million Jewish people stunned the world and exposed the world to an unprecedented evil.

Hitler’s desire for totalitarianism with himself being the single leader and ruler of the world allowed his egocentrism to overpower his judgement. His mistake, such as the German invasion of Russia, thus weakening the Western Front, contributed to his downfall. Evil is usually defeated but it takes its toll.

Many lessons can be gained for the world by considering the actions and beliefs of Adolph Hitler. At the top of that list is to be careful who is voted into public office. A leader with nationalistic proclivities must be avoided. Also anyone promoting a state religion should be denied public office.

The world has a proven history that communism/socialism does not work for the typical working citizen. To take from the working person to house and feed the non-working (or those refusing to work) will only last for a limited time.

The only equality in a biased and bigoted world is the teaching of Jesus Christ. He offers eternal salvation to those that believe.

The scripture mandates to us to “preach this gospel to all nations.” All we can do is “tell;” the decision must be with the individual. A force belief is no belief at all.

Acts 1: 8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Christian ideology is a belief that Jesus Christ is the only eternal salvation. Acts 4: 12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Christianity is a faith-based belief (Ephesians 2: 8). Many scoff at faith but drive on highways, fly commercial, buy products and consume food and drink every day based on faith. So, what’s the problem with faith?

We vote and place people in positions of power based on faith. At times that faith is misdirected and those individuals betray our trust.

Discernment of truth from lies is a quality that is difficult to acquire. To determine one’s reliability in truth is difficult, as we fully understand what the one running for office tells us and what he/she does may very well be two different actions.

For many, political positions are positions of power and not about service of the people. I stand convinced the High Priest and Pharisees that demanded the crucifixion of our Jesus were as angry concerning their power as religious leaders being challenged as they were of religious practice and ideology.

To determine what one’s actions will be once in office is difficult if not impossible. We’ve seen too many examples of actions not in line with promises. We must evaluate their promissory words that we know are impossible to fulfill.

Idealism is at times admirable but usually impossible. Once again, be careful who we vote for and who we believe. This is in the religious arena and in the political. We are reminded of the old saying “If it’s too good to be true,,,,”