I landed in Frankfurt, Germany at 5 AM local time on February 20, 2018. I had traveled to Germany to attend the ABSS (Advanced Bible Study Series). Having been to Germany multiple times in the past, I felt fairly comfortable hopping on a train and then eventually a bus to make my way to Gemunden, where the ABSS is held annually. However, once I arrived in the tiny village, I realized that I had no idea where the retreat center was actually located. There weren't many people out on the street, and the three or four folks that I spoke to didn't speak a lick of English. And since I don't speak a lick of German, communication wasn't happening. One local eventually pointed me in the direction of a hotel and so I made my way over to the quaint little place where a kind woman gave me instructions on how to reach my destination. She told me to walk back out to the outskirts of the village and then head up a side road to the top of the mountain and there the place would be on the right. Thankfully, it was only a small mountain, really more of a hill.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the retreat facility, having missed the first 15 minutes of the first presentation. John Galloway, based out of East Kilbride, Scotland had recently completed a multi-day trip to Israel, and was sharing pictures and background information on a number of sites from the Holy Land. Following John's presentation, Daryl Tippens, professor of literature at Abilene Christian University began the first of his six lectures on the theme of faith and culture. Robert Limb, originally from the East Midlands of England, but based out of Paris, France for the better part of 40 years, began his lecture on Hope in the 21st Century.
After lunch, Daryl and I caught a lift from Jordan Arnold, an American missionary located in Slovakia, to the local Lidl (a German discount store, similar to Aldi). Daryl and I both needed to pick up some toiletries and I needed to get some cash from an ATM. After swinging by the Lidl and a local bank in Usingen, we took a jaunt out to the Kransberg Castle, which sits high above the surrounding countryside in the village of Kransberg (population 800). We shared a cup of tea in local café before heading back to Gemunden.
After a short nap, and dinner, the nearly 30 of us in attendance, had the privilege of listening to Jordan speak on the word of the cross from 1 Corinthians. Following Jordan's presentation and a quick coffee break, we all settled in to watch Babette's Feast. I had heard of the story and the film, but had never had the chance to see the movie. But, I was also seriously jet-lagged, so I can't really say that I've seen the film now. What I can say is that I've seen parts of the film. Babette's feast is about the transforming power of grace and how a sacramental understanding of creation can radically change the way we interact with the world. I look forward to going back and re-watching the film when I'm more alert.
After the movie, I grabbed a hot shower and then hit my bunk for a much needed snooze. - Shay
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