Borders have become almost meaningless in western Europe...
by Melvin Rhodes
Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms
rise and wane, but the church of Jesus constant will remain."
Remember the words of the hymn "Onward
Christian Soldiers?" Their meaning really comes home to you when you
travel in central Europe. I had an opportunity to do just that in early
September, accompanying my parents on tours of three central European
cities: Prague, Budapest and Vienna, with a number of other stops en
route. An additional blessing was joining 32 other people on our bus,
all from the northern England area where I grew up and where my parents
still live. I found it particularly interesting to hear their comments
on the emerging European Union.
It is sometimes very difficult for
those who have grown up in the Anglo-Saxon countries to really grasp
history and prophecy. The reason is quite simply that our nations have
been around so long. I know that the United States is only 220 years
old, but it has enjoyed over 130 years of peace and stability, with
a continuous political system within the same stable borders since
the end of the Civil War. England has done even better, with almost
300 years of stability under the present royal house, stability that
nations like Australia and Canada have been able to share in through
their ties to the throne.
This means that nobody living in
either of these countries is as old as the country itself. Our memories
are of stability so it is difficult to understand the turmoil that
others nation have found themselves experiencing during our lifetimes.
Yet, it is true to say, that most of the nations in the world today
are younger than I am, and I am not yet 50.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia,
for example, two of the countries I recently visited, are only just
over five years old. Today's Hungary is less than ten years old. The
Austrian Republic, as it now is, did not come into existence until
1955. The Federal Republic of Germany did not exist until 1949 - and
with its present borders, is only seven years old. Even France's Fifth
Republic is only celebrating its fortieth anniversary.
