Lessons from Bullet Holes and Broken Walls

Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent time walking through Germany, town after town still bearing the scars of war. Bullet holes in stone. Crumbled edges on ancient walls. Memorials that whisper stories of lives interrupted.

What struck me most is how repetitive it is.

So many different conflicts, stretched across centuries, all beginning the same way:

• A thirst for power.

• A desire to claim what isn’t ours.

• A fear of people who were simply… different.

It’s sobering.

But those same seeds still take root in us.
We may not use cannons, but we still reach for control.
Longing for others to think like us,
vote like us,
live like us.

We’re still tempted to conquer,
in the tone of a post,
in the push of our own agenda,
and most often,
in the quiet judgments that build invisible walls,
shutting out those who see the world even slightly differently.

Bridges are better than walls, and grace extended is far greater than any weapon.

Lord, the next time I’m tempted to wage war against my brother, please remind me that the damage I cause may remain long after my words fade. Teach me to walk with people, not ahead of them. And make me an instrument of peace in a world still learning how to love as You do.

“They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone… But—when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” -Titus 3:2-5 (NLT)

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