Every Day My Admiration of Germany Grows, Yesterday My Admiration of My Own Country Grew Too

This week I attended a meeting of the group  

started at the American Consulate in Frankfurt of spouses, Consulate employees, and other interested parties which has been formed as a grass movement among the participants in order to support the Refugees and the German people as they tackle this crisis of humanity.  I listened as the people in attendance gave information, brought forward ideas, and spoke of the needs of individual Refugees with genuine compassion and concern.  I tuned into the energy in the room as plans were discussed and made to help by the individuals setting at the table.  As my dear friend who has lived and worked in Iraq, who is German, and who is visiting us this week gave input, I sat in awe of the privilege of friendship with this amazing woman, who was once kidnapped for monetary ransom in Iraq.  Uta Dammann is an international business woman who loves the people of Iraq because of knowing and sharing friendship with many, living and working among them in Iraq, and working in the ministry of Canon Andrew White, known as the "Vicar of Baghdad."  She spoke of some of the challenges, the sufferings, and the losses the people of Iraq have endured.  She knowingly spoke of many of the German laws involved in this endeavor by Germany as well.  I watched the faces of those in attendance at the meeting. They are truly committed to doing all they can personally concerning this event in history, which seems to me to be one of the most significant of my own lifetime.

This is such an enormous and complicated undertaking which affects ultimately all of humanity, and it cannot be stopped by force, fences, or hate speech. It must be confronted by good and honorable people who are motivated by their own personal integrity.  Funds, resources, talented minds, and skilled statisticians, health system providers, educators, corporations, program managers, governmental programs, experts in the cultures of the areas where the refugees come from, legal experts, law enforcement, and religious leadership must be called upon, and must respond in a co-operative manner unlike humanity normally responds, in order to bring under control and eventually solve this problem.  

I was so encouraged and moved by what I saw in that room.  It made me so proud to be an American, and sometimes these days I am not so proud.  You will probably never see the faces of the people in that room on national or world news, but they are the type and quality of people who quietly change the world for the better by their own lives on an everyday basis.  Do not despair when you look around at our world, there are some magnificent people among us.  I salute them this morning, and offer prayers of thanksgiving and ask for help from on high for the needs of their own lives.  May God richly bless each of them today, as they richly blessed me yesterday, and may God bless America once again, Germany too!