Our time in Germany has been wonderful and the people have been extremely welcoming and helpful. We have used the public transportation system around Frankfurt as well as the trains to take us to other cities. People have gone out of their way to assist us and make sure we get to where we need to be. This has been greatly appreciated, since my knowledge of German has proven to be insufficient to be of any real use.

Having said that, we did have one encounter around rush hour that was different. We were at a mall and trying to get the U1 train back to the parsonage where we are staying. The train is supposed to run every 10 minutes, but three of the scheduled trains did not show up. When the correct train/subway did arrive, there was a large crowd waiting to get on. We had been walking quite a while and stood waiting on the platform for over thirty minutes, so my old knees were tired and I was ready to sit down.

Cheryl took the first seat she could find, but there was not one next to her. I noticed not too far away that a woman was sitting in the aisle and had her backpack on the window seat next to her. I asked her (in what I’m sure was terrible German), “Excuse me, can I sit here?” She ignored me. I said it again, and without even looking up, she huffed to make her displeasure known, begrudgingly picked up her backpack, and turned so that her back was facing the seat where I finally was able to sit down. Cheryl said the man across from that woman got wide-eyed when I asked her if I could sit there, and Cheryl got the impression that he had tried to sit there as well but she would not let him.

I wondered why she was being so unpleasant, but knew better that to try to have a conversation with her. Instead, I had a conversation with God. I thanked Him for all that we have been able to experience during our time here, and the kindness we had been shown. And I prayed for the lady sitting next to me. I told the Lord that while I didn’t know what she was going through, I knew He did, and asked Him to put someone in her path that would show and share His love and mercy and kindness and grace with her.

Matthew 5:43–45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.