Frank Deaver Peace Editorials

     “We are of different nationalities, but we are one as children of God.”  These words were spoken in German by a Lutheran minister in Schorndorf, Germany, addressing a congregation that included about thirty Alabamians who could not understand his words. 

     But in a demonstration of international one-ness, that statement, along with the entire sermon, was translated—sentence by sentence—for the visiting delegation.

     A third of the American guests were Tuscaloosa Rotarians and spouses, hosted by Schorndorf Rotary Club as part of a sister club and sister city visit.  And the sermon we heard that Sunday morning was appropriately consistent with the international experiences of the entire exchange program.

     “We are of different nationalities, but we are one . . . .”  Yes, I thought, isn’t it also true that we are one in the fellowship of Rotary, and one in our Rotary commitment to service; that Rotarians of many nations join in making a major contribution to international goodwill and understanding.

     For several days in Schorndorf, we were hosted in local homes, introduced to local traditions, given insights into local history and culture, treated to the choicest of local foods, and offered the warmth of new international friendships.  We came to understand more about the society of another nation than we could have imagined.

     The thought repeatedly came back, “We are different . . . but we are one.”  And the entire Sunday experience underscored those contrasts.  Before the day was over, we would experience not only the ecumenical hour of worship, but a long half-day of Rotary hosting and fellowship.

     Church bells began ringing at exactly 9:50, and the local people understood them to be a call to worship, which would begin in precisely ten minutes.  At the stroke of 10, the great organ began a prelude, its harmonic tones resonating from the heights of the vaulted cathedral ceiling and echoing off the stone walls and marble floors.  It was an exciting contrast to the music of our churches and synagogues.    “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     The hymns were unfamiliar words, although they were set to familiar tunes.  We found ourselves either humming along or singing the words we knew in our own language.  “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     The sermon was based on the wanderings of the Children of Israel.  The minister compared those experiences to the tragic losses and new beginnings after the “great war” that pitted our two societies against each other fifty years ago.  In the congregation were veterans of the fighting—from both sides.  “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     The minister commended Jewish faith, Catholic tradition, and Protestant vision.  He said each generation must accept the challenge to pass along all three of these qualities to future generations, so as not to stumble blindly into the future.  “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     He concluded with the admonition, “May our differences not overshadow our commonalities.”  Another way of saying, “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     Then he asked us to recite together, each in our own language but still in unison, the familiar words of The Lord’s Prayer.  The cacophony of mixed languages was exciting to hear, yet stirring in its commonality.  “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     As we left that stately old edifice, the Rotarians of the Alabama delegation were taken to lunch and an afternoon of shared fellowship with Schorndorf Rotary Club members and their families.  It was an exciting experience, comparing club procedures, service projects, and other characteristics of our two clubs.  In our Rotary experiences, we had reason again to observe, “We are different . . . but we are one.”

     Later, as I reflected on the day’s experiences—from the worship service of the morning to the Rotary activities of the afternoon and evening—another quotation from the minister came back to me.  He cited the Scriptural admonition, “What you do for others, you do for me.”  And, I thought, how similar this is to the altruistic Rotary motto, “Service above Self.”

     Yes, I thought, in Rotary as in religion, we may compare the various societies of the world, and observe: “We are different . . . but we are one.”