Today marks an auspicious historical anniversary: 25 years ago today, the Berlin Wall fell. First erected in 1961 to keep East Germans from fleeing communism, it became the symbol of the Cold War. Its demise, and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in general, is worth remembering—that is, if you have a memory of it at all; our education system isn’t exactly top-notch:
I grew up with the reality of the Cold War and the threat it posed. I also knew the reality of communism, a totalitarian philosophy that hid behind rhetoric that expressed compassion for the people. Some still haven’t figured out the illusion it offered (and still offers):
By God’s grace, we had, at that time, some people in authority who grasped the nature of the evil that threatened us:
Along with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan took the lead in bringing Soviet communism to its knees. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a high point of this overall victory:
And the people of Berlin knew whom to thank for this victory. Go out to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, and you will find this:
A section of the Berlin Wall was sent to the Library to honor Reagan’s role in its fall. I thank God for the leadership he demonstrated on this vital issue.