Letter of thanks to my ‘German Sister’

Dear Beate,

Thank you so much for the gift of your beautiful poem. You have written these words from your heart of love for God. Please be encouraged to continue writing as God can speak to others through you.

In all the time we have known each other we have both been journeying to find a relationship with Jesus. We have both found Him through our love of the words in the bible. Did you know that your name, Beate, means ‘blessed’ and my name, Alison, in the Gaelic language once commonly spoken in parts of the British Isles means ‘truthful’? I would like to bless you with a verse of truth from Matthew’s gospel which I feel encapsulates our friendship and love for God and one another.

Matt5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons(daughters) of God

We have both been reconciled to God through our belief in Jesus and our mutual friendship, putting the past hostility of our home nations behind us, has reconciled us to each other. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me.

With lots of love to you and all your family

Alison xx

SING FOREVER, LITTLE BIRD?DER SINGENDE VOGEL

By Beate Woelfel

Sing little bird, sing
about the hope for freedom in the world
Don't listen to the crow, who'll tell you: The world will always be a place with walls and imprisoned people in visible or invisible chains. Try to break one's chains and build bridges among the people who cross your way.

Sing little bird, sing
about the hope for peace in the world
Don’t listen to the crow, who'll tell you: There'll always be war in the world with cruel weapons. Mankind is evil and will destroy itself. Try to break the circle to answer violence with revenge and persecution.

Sing little bird, sing
About the hope for love in the world
Don't listen to the crow who'll tell you: There will always be egoism and hatred in the world. People will kill each other in the name of love. Try to avoid these games. Exercise forgiveness and give true love.

Sing little bird, sing
About the hope of an eternal life and salvation of mankind through Jesus. Don't listen to the crow, who'll tell you: There doesn't exist any Jesus who could save anybody. Only dreamers believe in this. At the end there'll be only death and nothing else. Try to save the faith in salvation and eternal living. Share it with other people.

Sing little bird, sing
as long as you can and tell your children to go on with it. One day the crow will be told to shut up and everybody recognize that she told lies. Then all the birds will sing without ceasing.

Alison Hayes