Freedom is very precious! How would you like to live your whole life without freedom? Peter Strelzyk and Gunter Wetzel were living in a country where they had no freedom. They were willing to risk almost everything to be free from the oppression of communism in East Germany. But the border between communist East Germany and free West Germany was carefully guard. To try to cross it was almost sure death. These two men wanted freedom for their families, but not death. They both were married, and they each had two children. They loved their families and often discussed how they could carry them to freedom.
One day Peter leaped up and shouted, “I’ve got it!” He slapped Gunter on the back. “We’ll go by balloon!”
Gunter looked at him in amazement. “Great, and where do we find a balloon?” “We don’t,” explained Peter.
“We build our own.”
Over the next eighteen months the two families built two large balloons. The first one was a complete failure because it was made of the wrong kind of fabric. The police almost caught them in the second one when it landed short of the border. But they were learning from their mistakes. They felt it was worth taking another chance. Carefully they built another balloon. They bought the material from a number of different stores to avoid suspicion. They designed an excellent propane burner system for their hot-air balloon. Now they were ready.
On the evening of September 15 there was a cloudless sky with a stiff wind blowing to the west. It was the night! The two families drove into a dense forest as near to the border as they dared to go. Soon their huge, home-made, hot-air balloon was sailing through the air with both families’ aboard. They watched in fear as search lights continually criss-crossed the sky where they sailed. Would they make it to freedom?
The oppression of communism is just like the oppression of sin. While it promises freedom, it really takes your freedom away. It is almost impossible to get through the “Iron Curtain” of communist countries. But it is completely impossible to get free from sin without help. Sin is like a wall that separates us from God. What we need is someone to come carry us to freedom from sin and its oppression. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can do that.
Peter and Gunter’s huge balloon was carrying them up and over the dreaded communist border. Yes, they did make it! In just 28 minutes their flight was over, and they were safe and free in West Germany. The balloon had carried them to freedom! And now, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, waits for you to “climb aboard” so that you can be carried to freedom from the oppression of sin. God says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).
ML-08/17/1986