Monuments To Regret

Most of my three year tour with the US Army was spent in Baumholder Germany. There was little to do there in the early sixties so when I wanted to get away, I went to the small town of Idar Oberstein. To my knowledge Idar Oberstein is known for three things. It was famous for its gem stones. It was the birth place of movie star Bruce Willis and finally, the church in the side of the mountain. The town is built in a valley that runs around small mountains. Castle ruins can be seen on top of one mountain. About half way down another is the church that was built into the side of the mountain. Legend has it that two brothers fought on top of the mountain and one of them fell to his death landing where the church stands today. His brother, filled with regret and remorse, tried to deal with his guilt by building this church. It is a beautiful building. It has a stream from the mountain that runs through the inside of the building. It is not very large and is still used to this day. In all its beauty it stands today as a testimony to guilt and regret. Father thank you for taking away our guilt and regret. We build no monument to our past of failure. We simply stand in the shadow of the cross where one without guilt and regret died for those filled with both. There in the shadow we simply offer you our praise.