November 9 in Christian History

On November 9, 1989, East and West Berliners came together for the first time in almost thirty years to declare their liberty and brotherhood.

After World War II, Germany was split between the allied nations. The regions occupied by America, England, and France formed West Germany, a free and independent nation based on principles of liberty and capitalism. The Russian controlled area of East Germany, on the other hand, became a communist puppet state and a satellite nation within the Soviet Union.

Inside East Germany, 100 Miles from the border, lay the capital city of Berlin. Like Germany itself, Berlin was split into eastern and western sectors. West Berlin’s policies of free expression and unhindered trade turned it into a beacon prosperity and western values that Khrushchev referred to as a bone the Soviet throat.

Most embarrassing of all for the Soviets was the constant stream of refugees that would pour into West Berlin to escape the tyranny of communist control. In August, 1961, the authorities had had enough. A fifteen foot concrete wall was erected around West Berlin, and guards were instructed to shoot down any who attempted to cross.

While West Berlin continued to prosper, the authoritarian communist regime in the east dragged the nation into poverty. The authorities silenced anything that they considered a thread to their control. Bibles were outlawed, Christian leaders were arrested, and crosses were removed from all Christian churches and institutions. The East German church was forced underground.

The Berlin wall became a symbol of communism, oppression, and a divided world.

In 1989, however, the cold war was finally beginning to cool. Political upheaval and widespread unrest were weakening the communist party. With the growing pressure for reform, Gorbachev agreed to open the border to West Berlin. Berliners were officially allowed to apply for travel visas in an orderly manner. However, in a communication mix up on November 9th, the press understood that the border was opened to all, effective immediately.

Without delay, East and West Berliners flocked to the Berlin wall in a celebration that lasted all night. As the world looked on, Germans danced and sang from the top of the wall; others began chipping away at the concrete. The guards had no choice but to stand down.

This event marked the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany. It was the first stroke in the dismantling of the thousands of miles of barbed wire, watch towers, and tanks than ran like scar through the center of Europe.

Freedom of trade, freedom of expression, and freedom of worship began again that night in East Berlin and spread like a forest fire through the rest of eastern Europe in an event that would burn down the forces of communist tyranny in Europe.

Verse of the day: Psalm 118:5
Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.