Churches in Germany and Austria

Basilica St. Michael (below, yellow color) was where the wedding scene, The Sound of Music, between Maria and Captain Von Trapp was filmed.  Previously, I explained that acoustics were perfect so they did not need to build a sound stage.  The Cathedral in Frankfurt was simple and yet beautiful. The sculpture below depicts Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ mother, and the women mourning Jesus’ body. God took care of him, even in death. 

A wedding is joyful. What gives you joy? Death brings mourning. What are you grieving over?    

The photo on the left was taken in the Cathedral in Bamberg, Germany.   This town was spared during the war because the people did not resist and posed no threat. Today the people joke they were not bombed because they have the best beer industry and no one wanted to destroy that.

On the left is a photo of St. Stephan in the Bamberg Cathedral. According to a legend, Stephen was an able horseman, and when his steed fell ill, Christ Himself healed the ailing animal. He rode through the Cathedral, which no one had ever done before. Many parishioners were appalled but Stephen, full of gratitude, was showing them what God had done.  I am not sure how much of the story is true, however the goodness of God definitely is.

How have you experienced the goodness of God? 

On the right is a photo of the Cathedral in Frankfurt. I did not go inside this one. Notice the locks on the bridge. This is a common practice in Austria and Germany. When two people get married, they put a lock on the bridge and throw the key in the river. This is a vow of eternal commitment. A guide said that one occasionally see a combination lock.

What or who are you committed to?

Although I don’t know the artist’s name, I was moved by this piece. She appears to be praying, comforted by a cloak,

in the midst of a fire. Reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 43:2 when God says, “When you pass through the fires, you will not burn.”  He tells the people he will be with them and that they are precious to him.  He tells us the same today.

How does this speak to you?