31 October 1997! How can I
forget that day?
What a privilege it was that History lessons at school took
us through such important milestones in Church and world history as the Reformation!
Martin Luther's story made a deep impression on me.
The Reformation story shed light on people and events that
were close to me.
My dear mother in her young days was exposed to the work of
the Lutheran Mission branch of Ekhamanzi. She used to tell us with pride of the catechism
class and her confirmation at Mtulwa Mission.
One of the ministers I admired as a young boy was Rev Mzobe
of the local Chibini branch of the Lutheran Church. Officially the veteran preacher had
retired but he led the congregation right to the end.
Appelsbosch Mission is one of the masterpieces of the
precious work done by Lutheran missionaries. There was a lovely atmosphere as we walked
past the Primary School, the hospital and the beautiful stone church on the way to our
Secondary School which was attached to the Teachers' Training College.
At Dlangezwa High School our main chaplain was a dear old
man, Rev Mpanza, a retired Lutheran minister. He was given the nickname 'Mvokavithi'
because of his reference to the "Invocavit" Sunday according to the church plan.
Rev Mpanza had such a wealth of expressions and illustrations.
It's Rev Mpanza who told us about the old Lutheran
missionary who towards the end of his life was so weak that he had to be carried in a
chair onto the pulpit. He managed to say only two sentences,
"Okuny' ukuyaz' indlela.
Okuny' ukuyihamb' indlela."
(It's one thing to know the way.
It's another thing to walk the way.)
Just that broke the parishioners' hearts; they'd file out in
tears.
EQhudeni - the place of the cock. That's the isiZulu name
for Lilienthal, the Lutheran Church just outside Fawn Leas. As a young boy the church
building was a welcome sight because I knew that a little further I'd be at Ekhamanzi with
my mother's people, the Jilas.
After being introduced to the living Saviour by the Stegens
and getting to know more about their history I had a closer affinity with Lilienthal. This
was where the Lord had met with my spiritual fathers and lit within them a fire and zeal
to reach out to bring many into Christ's fold. Without any doubt, the most important event
in my life is the day I opened the door of my heart to the Saviour of the world!
In my history with Martin Luther and Lutherans I never
imagined that as a missionary I would be a frequent visitor, a close friend and even an
adopted son in Luther's home-country, Germany.
Yes, I had learnt about Luther's appearance at the Imperial
Diet of Worms in 1521, but it was an emotional moment for me in 1981 when our host, Prof
Kurt Koch, took us to the very spot in Worms where Luther stated his position
unequivocally:
"Unless I am convinced by Scripture or
clear reasoning that I am in error - for popes and councils have often erred and
contradicted themselves - I cannot recant, for I am subject to the Scriptures I have
quoted; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. It is unsafe and dangerous to do
anything against one's conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. So help me God.
Amen."
One of the highlights of a trip in 1985 was a visit to
Hermannsburg Mission in Northern Germany. I felt special ties with the centre because the
Stegens, Engelbrechts, Witthoefts, Duvels, Kuesels and other German-speaking friends in
our area have their roots in the 'Lueneburger Heide.'
We visited Pastor Louis Harms's church, the Lutheran
minister whom God used mightily to kindle revival fires in the area. In the church where
Pastor Harms preached we were shown a miniature replica of the Kandaze, the ship the
pastor and his people built to send missionaries to Africa. That's how we got our South
African Hermannsburg, spreading out and building churches like Lilienthal. In that way my
personal story is directly linked to Hermannsburg in Germany.
As I learnt more about Germany I was made aware of the
tragic division of the country after the Second World War. It was then that I realised
that many historical sites like Eisleben, Luther's birthplace and Wittenberg where he
nailed his 95 Thesis on the Castle Church door were beyond my reach because they were in
the impenetrable East Germany.
In 1984 I had a practical experience on the difficulties of
crossing into East Germany.
Baba Rev Erlo Stegen and I had flown from Duesseldorf to
Paris for an appointment. When we landed back in the afternoon the rest of the team was
waiting for us. From Duesseldorf we headed north, took the Goettingen off-ramp on the way
to Elbingerode. I helped with navigation and for the task I was armed with a thick book
and a smaller more compact map. For some reason the trip was taking longer than we had
anticipated. It was late at night when we unexpectedly came to a dead end. Fortunately
some people came by and we tried to asked for further directions to Elbingerode. We were
very disappointed with their reaction; with facial expressions betraying suspicion they
walked away without offering help to us.
We went back to the two maps and suddenly it dawned on us -
there were two Elbingerodes! The compact map left out our Elbingerode which was in West
Germany. We had missed the turnoff in Herzberg way back and tried to reach the Elbingerode
which was beyond the 'Iron Curtain' in East Germany. That's why we came to a dead end.
The events of November 1989 are nothing short of a miracle.
What had seemed impossible and far fetched a little earlier happened in a twinkling of an
eye. The Berlin Wall came down, with it the 'Iron Curtain' that divided East and West
Germany. October 1990 saw the formal reunification of Germany.
It was with an overflowing heart that I accepted an
invitation from Christians for Truth - Germany to a unique ceremony in Wittenberg. My
wife, Lindiwe, our colleagues Kjell and Margrit Olsen and I flew over to Europe for the
unforgettable trip.
So there we were in Wittenberg on 31 October 1997.
CFT-Germany had worked together with Dr Lothar Gassman on a special version of 95 Thesis
for our times which we were going to symbolically nail in front of the Castle Church door.
In my address to those gathered that day I expressed my
gratitude to God for the privilege of being in Martin Luther's Wittenberg. For the Chibini
boy 31 October 1517 had become a visible reality!
After everything I've shared you'll understand even better
why Luther's song 'A mighty fortress is our God' is so close to my heart.
"A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevaling.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle..."
Have a blessed week.
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi
