ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.
To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!
In This Month's
St. John Witness
JULY WITNESS
Pastor's Message
“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men,
who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.” Psalm 140:1-2
Are you in doubt about our world and the wars that so quickly and ferociously arise? This is not new, but it is certainly disturbing, for war is an evil upon the earth. People hate and mistrust one another; a conflict of interests becomes a conflict of arms. So it has been, and according to Jesus, so shall it be until the end of time.
High up in the Andes Mountains, there stands a bronze statue of Christ. Its base is granite, and the figure is fashioned from old cannons. It marks the boundary between Argentina and Chile.
Engraved in Spanish are the words, "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust th an Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer."
For many years, the people of these two countries had been quarreling about their boundaries. Both countries were suffering from the mistrust created.
In 1900, when the conflict was at its peak, some citizens begged their leaders to ask King Edward VII of Great Britain to mediate the dispute. On May 28, 1903, the two governments signed a treaty ending the conflict.
During the celebration that followed, Senora de Costa, a noble lady of Argentina who had done much to bring about peace, conceived the idea of the monument.
Senora de Costa had a statue of Christ shaped from the very cannons that had been used to strike terror into the hearts of the Chileans. It was taken to the summit of Uspallata Pass and was set up at the point where the two countries meet amidst perpetual snow.
At the dedication ceremony, the statue was presented to the world as a sign of the victory of good will. Senora de Costa knelt and prayed, "Protect, O Lord, our native land. Ever give us faith and hope. May fruitful peace be our first patrimony and good example in its greatest glory.”
Will this statue keep peace between these nations? God alone knows. But it has not created peace in the rest of the world. Strife continues. Bombs fly. People die. We are currently in a conflict with the heirs of the Persian Empire. Many fear the future, yet Christ alone brings peace. His peace is with God; it is for the heart. His truth endures. We pray for His peace to rule in us! We petition God to end the hostilities in our world!
Praying for God's blessed care!
Pastor Grimm
