Touring through Berlin, experiencing the vitality of a thriving economy, talking with the people, and feeling the pulse of the German culture, I realized, with more than a touch of humility, how we Americans do not have the corner on the indomitable human spirit. The city of Berlin was ravaged by war, ripped apart at its core, experienced the desecration of monuments, churches, government buildings, and, mostly, was systemically destroyed by indiscriminate but perceived necessary bombing. The bombing and destruction contributed to the end of the war and stopped the evil tide of Nazi Germany as it deliberately attempted to take over surrounding countries, extending its tentacles and spreading horror throughout the world.
But this entry is not about the rights and wrongs of war, nor is it about defense, protection, or revenge. World War II has been studied, dissected, hashed, and rehashed and without question remains one of the most despicable and utterly shameful events in history, albeit certainly one of the most dramatic. When dealt with on a global scale, as well as a human scale, the level of pain and suffering becomes intolerable, leaving any compassionate person shaking and wanting to turn back time in some sort of vain attempt to rewrite history and pretend none of it happened. Yet, I choose to address the aftermath, the reaction, and the resonating goodness that can somehow grow out of adversity.
As a child, I recall learning about the amazing American spirit, and through a study of history going back to the American Revolution, there is no doubt that we have persevered and built a stunning country replete with opportunity for all. But are we the only country that can lay claim to surviving war and rebuilding for the future? Obviously not. As I strolled through the streets of Berlin and witnessed the remnants of the war, I heard the bell of truth that the people of Berlin have the same strong spirit as the people of America. In fact, I began to be embarrassed at our sense of arrogance and possibly misguided selfishness. Maybe it is possible that human beings have a built-in heartiness that seeks to overcome the challenges and obstacles that jump in the pathway of life? Maybe, just maybe, we are not the only country that has had to rebuild itself, applying determination and fortitude in the face of adversity.
Staring at the Kaiser William Memorial Church and seeing the destruction on the steeple, and then entering the new chapel which sits proudly beside the old church, I was moved with the powerful emotion that comes from deep within the senses at witnessing a physical manifestation of the commitment to persevere and strengthen that which is right and good. One looks high and sees the old (http://berlin.barwick.de/sights/famous-places/kaiser-wilhelm-memorial-church.html) and looks over and sees the new (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Berlin_-_Kaiser_Wilhelm_Memorial_Church_-_inside_2.jpg) and realizes that the human capacity for progress is unlimited.
In addition, during my trip to Leipzig, I was brought to tears as I watched a video describing the pain and embarrassment of the Nazi regime, and was further inspired as I heard the commitment of the German people never to let such an event happen again. And I thought about our own country's history and recognized that we cannot claim historical innocence in causing pain on a given race. Yet, while we acknowledge it, we admit it, and we agonize over it, we are not debilitated by it. For like the German people, we work diligently, creatively, with absolute dedication to improving the human condition, learning from and not forgetting but also acting without allowing the chains of the past that have inflicted so much suffering on the world to bind us into further sterility.
So in Berlin, a city wrought full of controversy, a city resolved to overcome its own dark past and mostly, a city filled with hopes and dreams, we find yet another example of the strength of the human spirit as it refuses to be daunted by the haunting specter of a war many years gone by. It may hover over them but it serves as a reminder to avoid the mistakes of the past and press on to the future. And yes, we in America certainly embody the concept of overcoming adversity, but it is arrogant and wrong to assume we are the only ones.
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