Out of the blue some friends from home Facebooked me on their drive from Switzerland to Frankfurt. They drove out of their way to Landstuhl, and we were able to spend some time together. Juli's ancestors are from nearby Otterberg, so we spent most of the evening there. We found the Cathedral that was originally Catholic but turned Lutheran with the Reformation. Eventually, the Catholics and Lutherans agreed to share the building. It took many years to iron out the details, but in time they found harmony and it is still shared to this day. That kind of cooperation is virtually unheard of in our age, let alone ca. 18th century when the preferred method of theological compromise involved the wrack.
If you know me, you know that I firmly believe in theological conviction. I hope you also know that I firmly believe in civil conversation, even constructive debate. The differences between theological camps are significant enough they should not be overlooked in the name of unity. We need to wrestle through the tough issues of justification, election, communion, and so on. If the Reformation taught us anything, it is that Truth is worth dying for. But, we need to hold these convictions with the Spirit of Christ seeking harmony when unified melody is simply not possible. If you know the Jarvis family, you know that this ancestral spirit of peaceful cooperation has survived the generations and geography separating them from this Cathedral where it all began. If you know them, you'll also know that Chris had equipment suitable for photographing Otterberg in the low light, so check out his Facebook page, or
Juli's blog for more pictures and stories coming soon (I'm pretty sure).
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| Dinner, where Juli strategically positioned herself in view of the Cathedral. |
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| Juli and Chris in my office at 2:00 AM. Never a dull moment around here! |
