Here are the pictures from our trip to Europe.

In thinking more about the adventure I find myself drawn to the themes of broken-ness that seemed to permeate a lot of the places we visited. Broken due to time, broken due to conflict. Especially interesting was the German's take on their broken national identity. Ever since World War II, it's been a very delicate proposition for Germans to exhibit any sign of national pride.

Some folks we met while touring said that they were proud of Germany, but not that Germany. Can you ever shake your heritage? Probably not. But in the eyes of "the other" how do you ever shake the preconceptions? Is this where stereotypes come into play? Is it wrong to rely on history to judge someone's actions? Is it different based on the level (e.g. personal versus judging an entire country)?

I found it interesting how many of the churches in Europe embodied the theme of broken-ness in their worship spaces. The most stark example was in Heidelberg where one of the churches had a double paned stained glass window which held shattered glass in between the panes.

And as I look at the world right now, broken is what I see. I'm hopeful that we will get along and make it okay. But I see a lot of pain being inflicted, a lot of hurt and yet not a lot of healing. Have we lost the capacity for healing? For compassion? Love thy neighbor?