Eurpoean friendships

On Sunday a member of the congregation, a former RAF pilot in his 90's, told me how his thoughts every September 1st go out to the people of Poland recalling their invasion on what was, effectively, day one of World War Two.

Later on Sunday I caught sight of a news report from Poland and the visit there that day by a dignified German President who 'apologised' for his country's actions eighty years ago.

Over the summer it's been a joy for us to visit both Germany and Austria.  In fact, over the last five years we've deliberately (post children!) made various European countries our destination of choice for holidays.

 Invariably we have been impressed by the courtesy with which we've been received and the sense of history and identity we have found in each place.  I've concluded that many of our continental neighbours find it so much easier than us in thinking of themselves as being, say: German, Italian, Danish or Spanish and, at the same time, European.

Our most meaningful contact has been with a German family and it's been wonderful to twice be guests in their beautiful farmhouse home. We first visited last year with a group from church and on the opening evening after supper our gracious host made a short speech of welcome.  He spoke so eloquently about 'friendship'.  It has clearly been his family's deepest wish to take every opportunity to forge bonds of friendship with folk from Britain whenever possible.

As I listened to his speech it dawned on me that such a desire is essentially 'spiritual'.

 It is driven by the deepest faith convictions that we share a common humanity.  In fact, I suspect that for my German friend the European project can be seen, partly, as an act of 'redemption' for the horrors of the twentieth century.  And that, I believe, is something we should better understand, appreciate and respect.